A new Customs mobile container scanning truck built by Chinese company Nuctech was yesterday inaugurated at the Customs warehouse at the Birzebbugia Freeport.
The event coincides with Nuctech’s second European Conference, which is also being held in Malta. The vehicle is a rapid scanner that can be driven around the Freeport with ease to scan containers for possible counterfeit goods, drugs, weapons and other such material. Speaking during the unveiling yesterday, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said that expanding globalisation is making trade, capital and service markets increasingly international and is creating ever more complex links between world economies.
“The World Customs Organisation is also committed to systematically reducing artificial trade restrictions in an attempt to augment international trade,” he said.
Mr Fenech added: “As more than 90 per cent of cross border trade is by sea, this mode of transport plays a major role in global networking. In the past decade, the world has experienced a dramatic increase in goods production, yielding a 12 per cent growth in world trade value.”
These two factors, he said, combined with good international sea freight fares, puts goods transport by sea in a position that makes it a main driver of international trade growth.
“Past terrorist attacks revealed vulnerability in systems to target terrorist trade movement and as a result, international freight transport has become more transparent and secure. Corporate crime has also triggered the constant increase and improvement of security measures in container transport,” he said.
Mr Fenech said that the government and Customs were at the forefront in investing in a computerised risk analysis system that proved effective in detecting illicit commerce as well as providing efficient release of legitimate goods. “This was complemented by the introduction of the first container scanner back in 2003. The positive experience gained, especially in seizure of illegal tobaccos, fake goods and drugs, has induced Malta Customs to invest in this new and more effective container scanner,” said Mr Fenech.
He also pointed out that Malta successfully bid for co-financing to the tune of 42 per cent outlay by the European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF).
Customs director general Ivo Galea said that Customs agencies around the world, all have the same aim: to stop the spread of illicit and counterfeit goods as well as cutting out potential income or transport means of terrorists. “This gives us another tool to do so,” he said.