The installation of four scanners at Chittagong Seaport is likely to be completed next month, as the EU countries and the USA have given the authorities 2009 and 2010 as deadlines to install those.

"The scanners are already in the port. We hope those will be installed before midDecember, " said an official of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The NBR official, involved with the project, said SGS Bangladesh, the winner of the work order, is working on the installation of the four scanners.

The automation system, recently introduced in the port, is expected to gather pace with the installation of the NBR container scanners.

The issue of container scanners came to the limelight after the attack on Twin Tower in the USA on September 11, 2001.

The government financed the much-talked-about installation of container scanners at the seaport after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) refused to provide funds on the ground of a re-tendering plan by the government.

The ADB was supposed to fund the project, but it later changed its mind following a government move to call a fresh tender by scrapping the deal with a previous bidwinner for the job.

The scheme, which was initiated in 2003 by the BNP-led alliance government, envisages installation of scanner machines, computerisation of operational system and con-struction of a flyover to ease traffic congestion in the port areas.

As the lowest bidder, preshipment inspection company Cotecna Inspection SA had won the contract of the installation job. But die government cancelled the previous tender due to cancellation of its agreement with Cotecna on charges of irregularities.

On March 19 this year, the government cancelled the agreement with Cotecna as PSI agent after the NBR found out that the company got indulged in irregularities,’ hindering revenue collection.

The NBR said the certificate of Cotecna was cancelled for violation of the Pre-Shipment Inspection Rules 2002.

After scrapping the previous tender, the NBR wanted to retender the installation of four container-scanners and thus sought permission from the

ADB. But the ADB refused to do so.

Later, the NBR prepared a summary of the project and sent it to the higher authorities, suggesting that the project could be implemented from domestic resources.

Another PSI company, SGS Bangladesh, won the re-tender of the container scanner installation as the lowest bidder.

The NBR had moved years ago to upgrade the containerhandling facilities in the country's prime seaport that handles more than 80 percent of the imports and exports.

The BNP-led government initiated the scheme in 2003 just after security agencies seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the port area.

The country's export activities would enter a new era with the installation of the scanners.