The Customs Department officially opens today with a 7 pm ceremony at its new headquarters on Abraham Lincoln Avenue. President Leonel Fernandez will be attending. The main speaker will be Finance Minister Vicente Bengoa, opening words will be by Customs Director Miguel Cocco. Msgr. Nicolas de Jesus Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez will bless the new site. The building has been equipped with new technology, making it one of the most advanced and secure government offices in the DR. The building was purchased for RD$1 billion in a transaction authorized by the Ministry of Finance and the President, from a company headed by former Public Works Minister Miguel Vargas. It has a 1,000-ton air conditioning system, a 300-seat auditorium, 300 parking spaces for visitors and 750 for employees.