NBR to employ local consultants to watch scanner installation

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has decided to employ local consultants to supervise the unfinished job of installing container scanners at Chittagong Port.
The NBR move, which is expected to save $200,000, came as the two foreign companies -- UK-based Customscan Limited and France-based Peter South-wood and Associates -- that had taken part in the expression of interest failed to come up with their res-ponse.
The local supervision team, comprising officials and experts from Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and project office, will supervise the installation of the three re-locatable container scanners at the port.
The revenue authority is installing four container scanners at the port to prevent the export of illegal arms and other dangerous items. The installation is going on under the Chittagong Port Trade Facili-tation Project (Custom House Component).
The EU countries have made it mandatory to have container scanners at ports by 2009 while the USA deadline is 2010 for importing any consignment from another country.
The NBR moved years back to upgrade the container-handling facilities in the country's prime seaport that handles more than 80 percent of the imports and exports.
The BNP-led government initiated the scheme in 2003 after security agencies seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the port area.