Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-02-12

Container Movement Tracking and Monitoring System for the Sri Lanka Customs

- The Department of Sri Lanka Customs processes on average about 1,150 to 1450 inbound cargo containers and 350 to 450 outbound cargo containers per working day. Further, these cargo will be checked at different locations before releasing them to the respective importers and some of high-risk cargo will be moved to specific locations for further inspection and clearance. In such instances, physical bottle/ strap locks are placed on the container doors for the safety of these cargo. However, this method has to be modified so as to suit the present day needs. Accordingly, it is anticipated to introduce new technological features to track and monitor container movements to have a persistent monitoring process of their contents and to identify the geographical position of the container, precisely. It is also expected to introduce the new technology with modern security features required to ensure the security of cargo. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, the Minister of Finance & Mass Media, to commence the procurement process of selecting a suitable supplier for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.