The aim of answering 80% of calls within five minutes would still see 16 million callers waiting longer than that to be answered by HM Revenue and Customs, its report said.

BBC: HMRC tax call handling 'must sharpen up'

Just before the report was released, customs officials in Malaysia announced that they had made a huge seizure of ivory.

BBC: Wildlife crime profound threat to nations, says report

He says South Korean Customs, which have bought the programme, report a 20% higher detection rate of illegal goods.

BBC: Risk profiling software tackles the terrorist threat

The report says at least 10 airport workers, customs officials and pilots were within the blast radius of the shell and could have been seriously injured.

BBC: Live shells handled at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport

The report's authors also called for more action by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle minimum wage violations and exploitative employers not passing on PAYE tax and National Insurance.

BBC: 'Forced labour' of migrants in UK food industry

In a report published on Monday, Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge said HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) needed to be "more aggressive and assertive in confronting corporate tax avoidance".

BBC: Starbucks 'planning changes to tax policy'

"Report the truth, please, " a Libyan man standing in line told me as a Tunisian customs officer processed my passport last week.

CNN: Libya seen through Gadhafi's keyhole

The inability of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to properly curb aggressive tax avoidance schemes is costing the UK billions of pounds, a report suggests.

BBC: Tax avoidance schemes 'costs UK billions in lost revenue'