VPA inks pact with Customs, Smith Detection on container scanning

Visakhapatnam A tripartite agreement was signed between Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), Customs and Smith Detection on Friday to transfer the container scanner assets to the Customs Department for operation.

Durgesh Kumar Dubey, Deputy Chairman, VPA, B A. V. Srinivasa Rao, Commissioner of Customs and Vikrant Subhash Trilokekar, Managing Director, Authorised Signatory, Smith Detection signed the agreement.

The Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways has taken an action to implement the initiatives of "Ease of Doing Business" wherein all the major ports have to reduce the dwell time of vessel and cargo operations.

Installation of the container scanner system is one of the major initiatives under EDB in order to simplify/expedite the clearance process of import container cargo at major ports.

Indian Ports Association (IPA) is the nodal agency under the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways for procurement of eight numbers of mobile X-ray container scanners for major ports.

The infrastructure required for operations of container scanners has been developed by VPA with investment of Rs.29.68 crore including supply of container scanner equipment.

The mobile X-ray container scanner system is capable of scanning 20 containers per hour at normal scan speed. The container scanner system was commissioned on September 2, 2021 and operated by the Container Scanner Division of Visakhapatnam Customs, consequent to the installation and operationalisation of container scanner system at VPA.