Lithuanian parliament committee proposes easing leadership requirements for Customs Department
A parliamentary committee in Lithuania has proposed relaxing qualification rules for the head of the Customs Department to attract a broader pool of candidates, LRT reports.
Under amendments to the Customs Law approved by the Seimas Budget and Finance Committee, applicants for the position of Customs Director General would no longer need prior statutory service experience. Instead, candidates would require at least a master’s degree (or equivalent higher education qualification) and a minimum of three years in a managerial role.
Finance Vice-Minister Lukas Jakubonis stated the change follows lessons from a recent failed recruitment process for the Customs Department head, which drew few applicants. “There weren’t many candidates. Apparently, the position isn’t attractive, so we tried to identify why. One factor deterring broader interest is the current requirement for statutory leadership experience,” he told the committee. The revised criteria aim to prioritise managerial competence over statutory service background.
The committee’s conclusion noted the adjustment would open the role to leaders from public-sector institutions, state services, or the private sector, potentially increasing candidate diversity and numbers. “This would allow us to attract applicants with modern management expertise, organisational transformation skills, and experience in shaping corporate culture,” the document stated.
Currently, the Customs Law sets no fixed requirements for the Director General; these are determined by the Finance Ministry during each recruitment process, typically including internal statutory experience. The Director General serves a five-year term.
The previous director, Darius Žvironas, resigned in August last year following his detention for public intoxication. Acting Director Vygantas Paigozinas currently leads the department. A new recruitment round, launched after the previous competition was annulled, accepts applications until 8 May.
The Lithuanian Customs system comprises the central department, the Customs Criminal Service, a training centre, laboratory, IT systems centre, and three regional offices in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda.