SINGAPORE - There will be a new man at the helm of Singapore Customs, when Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Tan Hung Hooi takes over from Mr Ho Chee Pong on Sept 1.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF), in a statement on Thursday (July 21), said Mr Ho, who has served as director-general since January 2014, will be appointed to a senior role in the education sector when his stint ends.
Mr Ho, who is 52, boosted the use of technology at Singapore Customs.
The initiatives he led included digitalising customs processes and enhancing digital trade connectivity with overseas trading partners, said MOF.
He played a key role in developing the Networked Trade Platform, a key cross-border trade and logistics ecosystem, which enables several major overseas business partners to exchange trade and customs documents digitally with Singapore.
Mr Ho oversaw the implementation of the Asean Customs Transit System and Asean-Wide Self-Certification Scheme, which facilitate trade.
He also led the preparatory groundwork for Singapore to join the World Customs Organisation International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention) in June this year.
During his stint, Singapore Customs signed Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangements with Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States.
The agreement ensures that Singapore companies that are certified locally as "authorised economic operators" are recognised by these partner countries to be of lower risk and can enjoy faster customs clearance.
Mr Tan, 53, joined the police force in 1994. He has served in several key appointments in the Home Team over the past 28 years - as Deputy Commissioner of Policy and Transformation at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority; Manpower Director in the police force; and Commander of Central Police Division and Police Security Command.
In his tenure as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tan oversaw the police's Covid-19 operations during the pandemic.
He also led developmental work across a wide range of policy, operations and technology work, including crime fighting, counter-terrorism, security, training and community engagement.
