PM: Procurement for new port scanners underway
Trinidad and Tobago
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says that this country is inspecting an above-average amount of containers at the Ports.
He was at the time responding to questions posed by members of the opposition in the Lower House on Friday (December 09).
Asked by Naparima MP Rodney Charles whether as head of the national security council if he can state when it intends to take charge of the process to ensure that the legal ports of entry are fully equipped with the necessary amount of scanners, PM Rowley gave the assurance that there is currently a fully operational scanner being utilised.
“There is a fully operational fixed scanner at the port of Port of Spain. It is eight years old and it is still fit for purpose, and is in operation.”
He explained however, that the mobile scanners which were donated to this country by the United States in 2018 and were installed at Point Lisas were not new, but rather 16 years old at the time they were donated.
He said, as a result, those scanners are now deemed to be obsolete.
“Procurement of new scanners was initiated recently and tenders for new, mobile scanners are expected to be received by February 23, 2023.”
The Prime Minister also noted that 17 per cent of all containers entering the country are inspected, whereas 20 per cent are actually physically inspected.
Image: Sam Greenhalgh (flickr)