Commercial fraud costing millions

Governments in the region have reiterated that commercial fraud is costing the Caribbean hundreds of millions of dollars in loss of government revenue.



The issue is engaging the attention of top customs officials throughout the region.



Custom officials are meeting in St Lucia at the invitation of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council.



The Canadian Border Services Agency is helping the regional law enforcement officials to examine measures to reduce customs fraud.



The Law Enforcement Council\'s Permanent Secretary, Paul Hilaire, says the various customs administrations in the region have indicated that the problem is a very serious one, costing between $500 and $800 million a year in lost revenue.