The Customs Department on Friday commissioned a Mobile X-ray Container Scanner (MXCS) for speedy clearance of containerised EXIM cargo at the New Mangalore Port Trust.
Dedicating the scanner through virtual mode from New Delhi, Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIT) Chairman Vivek Johri said the board was in the forefront in enhancing trade facilitation. The Government has initiated several measures to ensure “ease of doing business”, thereby reducing the dwell time for release of the cargo.
Mr. Johri said commissioning of the mobile scanner provides minimum physical intervention with maximum speedy clearance of cargo. He said the ease of doing business ranking of India had considerably improved over the recent years following several initiatives taken by the department for trade facilitation.
NMPT Chairman A.V. Ramana said the CBIT had taken several important steps to ensure ease of doing business, including online filing of Import General Manifest (IGM) and other documents, online delivery of bulk cargo, Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) Platform for speedy clearance etc. This has also helped the port to ensure speedy turnaround time for vessels, he noted.
Karnataka Chief Commissioner of Customs Mandalika Srinivas said while the NMPT was the 7th largest port of India with predominantly bulk cargo, container cargo traffic was growing substantially in the recent years. Edible oils, petroleum products, raw cashew, and wooden logs were the major import commodities whereas processed cashew, coffee beans, textiles, gherkins, pharma products, fish, etc., were the major export products.
He said the MXCS was installed at NMPT in January 2020 that received the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board approval this April. With very high resolution, the scanner helps in speedy clearance of containerised cargo at the port. Board members D.P. Nagendra Kumar, Sungita Sharma, and Rajeev Talvar, Mangaluru Customs Commissioner Imamuddin Ahmad, and others were present.