Ctg port launches new mobile scanner

Chittagong port yesterday launched a new mobile scanner, which would help the authority check imported goods faster and provide users with quick taxation services.

This is the second mobile scanner launched at the port. The first one that came into operation in 2010 went out of order on October 30 this year.

“The scanners will also make it easy to catch fraudulence and to stop illegal trade in the port,” said Nojibur Rahman, chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) while inaugurating the scanner. 

“With the new one, five gates of Chittagong port now have five scanners. We have taken initiative to set up scanners at all the 12 gates by 2018,” Rahman said.

The new machine can scan a container within five to 10 minutes, said Apelo Barua, manager for operations at Nuctech Company Ltd.

Beijing-based Nuctech will provide operational and maintenance service for the new device for the next three months, and a new operator will be appointed after that. It took two years to install the machine. There were some problems that caused the delay, Rahman told journalists at the inaugural ceremony.

“We have identified all the problems and initiatives have been taken to solve those,” he said.

Four new scanners—one mobile and three fixed in nature—arrived in Bangladesh from Chinese government as donation in November 2015.

The mobile scanner was kept for the port city and the rest were handed over to Kamalapur Inland Container Depot, Khulna and Benapole on May 11 in 2016.

“The rest three will come into operation soon,” said the NBR chairman.

Chittagong Customs House Commissioner AKM Nuruzzaman chaired the meeting.

Swiss organisation Sociate Generale De Surveillance (SGS) has been operating the existing four scanners of the port.

The chief of the tax administrator later took part in a seminar on “Combating corruption” at the Customs, Excise and VAT Training Academy in Chittagong.

NBR members SM Ashfaque Hussain, Jahangir Hossain, Habibur Rahman Akhand and Director General of Central Intelligence Cell of NBR Md Belal Uddin were also present at the programme.