New X-Ray Machine To Aid Nevis Customs
Charlestown, Nevis
September 13, 2015
In its continued effort to fight crime and step up border security, the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) invested over EC$200,000 for the purchase and installation of an ADANI x-ray machine at the Long Point Port. It will be used by the Customs Department to examine all cargo entering the island there.
The ADANI x-ray machine was commissioned at the Long Point Port on September 07, 2015. Moments before, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Colin Dore noted that the Administration has to protect the entry ports on Nevis in the fight against crime and criminal activities.
“The only way we can do that is to have proper control over our borders, proper control over what is entering our ports and therefore, even though it might seem a high figure we believe in these circumstances it is quite worth the expenditure,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary stated that the investment was a worthwhile one that supported a second smaller machine which was installed at the Vance Amory International Airport earlier this year.
According to Dore, the equipment would allow Customs Officers to examine deep within incoming cargo at both ports, in keeping with a new Customs Department policy to examine each piece of cargo.
“It’s a new process and something we feel we had to do, if we are to gain full control of all the items entering our borders.
“We have had some difficulties over the years in terms of proper examination of cargo and all of these are designed to move toward a system where we can be sufficiently satisfied that we are taking the necessary steps to do a complete examination of all items entering our countries,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary thanked the ADANI representatives who installed the machine and conducted training sessions with the officers on how to use the product.
In brief remarks ADANI’s Vice President, Operations Scott Ortilani expressed gratitude for the Administration’s trust in his company to provide the security product.
He assured that the x-ray machine would help to accomplish the island’s security goals and overcome its challenges where security was concerned and provide the necessary security service for years to come.
He described the machine as a very easy to use and a capable system that would provide better imaging of the majority of the break bulk cargo.