Comptroller of Customs Colin Griffith was set to retire at the end of this month - but he's been asked to stay on another month - as the Briceno administration straightens out who his successor will be.
Reliable reports from Belmopan tell us that Prime Minister and Minister of Finance John Briceno has reviewed the files of the three senior customs officers who hold the post of assistant and deputy comptrollers of customs. Two of them are qualified based on having a master's degree and serving three years as assistant comptroller.
They are Ian Haylock and Estelle Leslie. And, word from senior sources is that PM Briceno has chosen Leslie to be the new customs boss. If it goes through, it would make her the first woman comptroller of customs - considered an added benefit for the political directorate.
But, it's not clear how government plans to provide a suitable package to Deputy Comptroller Ian Haylock to give him a seamless transition. It's not going to be easy as he has been in a holding pattern under Griffith for a number of years.
