Customs Administration to purchase 11 scanners worth 30m USD from China

Representatives of the Customs Administration of Serbia and Chinese national company "Nuctech" signed the Memorandum of understanding today (September 21, 2009) for purchase of 11 scanners for control of people and goods at the customs checkpoints in Serbia.

Total of 10 mobile scanners for the needs of border crossings and 1 stable scanner for Airport "Beograd" will be procured for 30m USD.

- This procurement is a part of the interstate agreement between Serbia and China, which was signed at the end of August 2009, during the visit of Serbian delegation, led by President Boris Tadić, to China - the State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Miodrag Đidić, said at the press conference in the Government of Serbia.

As he explained, Chinese national Exim Bank will approve the loan to Serbia in November for purchase of scanners, and the loan contract should be signed at the beginning of December at the latest. Scanners should be delivered by the end of the first half of year 2010. According to Đidić, the loan will be granted under the most favorable terms, with the repayment period of 15 years and grace period of 5 years.

The Director of the Customs Administration of Serbia, Predrag Petronijević, pointed out that Serbia was the only country in the region that lacked scanners which ensured quicker and more secure customs clearing and prevented smuggling, organized crime and terrorism.

The use of this state-of-the-arts equipment in the customs procedures will result in great savings in the budget of Serbia.

The representative of "Nuctech", Fju Kjuan, said that that company had delivered 400 scanners for vehicles and containers to 80 countries, and Belgrade should become the regional center for their servicing.

The Ambassador of China to Belgrade, Vei Đinghua, pointed out that the modernization of Serbian customs would contribute to greater security, reduction of corruption and prevention of illegal trade in the country.