A machine to scan export cargo will be commissioned at Port Qasim in January 2005. Dry Port Director Ghulam Akbar Niazi and Deputy Director Lieutenant Colonel Mobashir Hussain Tarar told a press conference here on Wednesday that the TC-Scan RMG, a cargo inspection system, had been imported from China for the purpose.
Tarar said that in the first phase the scanning machine was being installed at the Port Qasim and at Karachi Port's East and West Wharfs, Gwadar Port, Torkham and Chaman in the next phase.
He said the machines were being installed as security measures following international security initiative by the USA after 9/11 and creation of Homeland Security Department.
He elaborated that Container Security Initiative (CSI), Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) with the CSI core elements include to identify "High Risk" containers before arrival, High Tech Quick Time Scanning, Smart and Temper Evident containers and Smart Seals.
He said that approximately 90,000 containers originate from Pakistani ports for the US a year.
Colonel Mubashir said that civil work for scanner installation had already been completed, and a team of Chinese engineers was engaged in installing the machine at Port Qasim.
Tarar said the machine, based on the latest gamma ray technology acquired from China, was much cheaper than similar systems being manufactured in the USA and Europe. It cost around US 1.1 million dollars with lifetime replacement of parts guaranteed by the supplier, he added.
He said that conforming with internationally set standard, it would ensure total elimination of mis-declarations besides detecting explosives, narcotics and weapons.
Director Dry Port Ghulam Akbar Niazi said the scan machine conformed with the IAEA 1996 security standards and it could smoothly work in our country's environments.
Comments
Comments are closed.