Screening of US-bound containers to start in March

KARACHI: The Integrated Cargo/Container Control (IC3) Programme of Central Board of Revenue will be launched at Port Qasim in March, after delay of a few months.

The programme was delayed by around three months owing to late release of funds by the federal government, official sources said. The project was to get operational by December 31, 2006, but the construction of required infrastructure was not completed due to the unavailability of funds, they said.

The sources further said that a test run of the programme would be carried out in the beginning of February and it would start working in March.

The IC3 Programme envisages joint screening of the US-bound containerised cargo from Pakistan via live video link by the customs authorities of Pakistan and the US. The screened cargo will not be subjected to re-examination by the US customs on arrival at US ports. Initially, customs officials of both the countries would be posted at the port for operating the facility.

The purpose of the programme is to facilitate the flow of genuine commercial cargo from Pakistan to the US market through inspection at the port of shipment (instead of inspection at the port of landing) and to forestall clandestine movement of dangerous cargo, including radioactive or explosive substances.

The implementation of the IC3 will reduce the cost of country’s exports to the US. Presently, all cargoes destined for US from Pakistan are trans-shipped to Hong Kong, Colombo and Salalah for scanning, resulting in delay and extra financial cost to the exporters. The facility will also help exporters save time and money.

The facility would be extended to other ports and terminals in Karachi in due course of time.

Port Qasim Authority has allocated 10 acres for IC3 programme, out of which five acre would be utilised for installation of scanning equipment and the rest would be used as a yard for stacking export containers.

Both countries

had signed a declaration of principles on March 3 last year to enhance international maritime trade security under the Integrated Cargo/Container Control (IC3) Programme.

Central Board of Revenue Chairman M Abdullah Yusuf and US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C Croker had signed the agreement.

The IC3 programme is implemented in 42 countries around the world. The programme, comprising Container Security Initiative (CSI) and some elements of Mega Ports Initiative (MPI), is being administered by the US customs department, in collaboration with the national customs authorities in selected countries.