E-Paper
SL port joins US anti-terror network
With this, Lanka becomes a vital link in the anti-terror surveillance network set up by US, reports PK Balachandran.
With the installation of state of the art radiation detection systems at Colombo port with American aid on Thursday, Sri Lanka became a vital link in the global anti-terror surveillance network being set up by the United States.
Colombo port has implemented the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Megaports Initiative (MI).
Explaining uses of the two systems, US Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead said: "The Megaports Initiative will deter possible terrorist acts involving illicit shipment of radioactive and nuclear materials through the maritime shipping system".
"The Container Security Initiative will enhance global container security from the threat posed by terrorism and promote the smooth movement of international trade," Lunstead added.
The Megaports programmes aims to detect and interdict radioactive material including plutonium and uranium, enriched upto 20 per cent or more; the isotope U-235 and radioactive sources that can be used in Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDD).
Colombo port is the second port in Asia to implement both the Megaport and Containers Security Initiatives.
It is the 42nd CSI port in the world. The systems would be managed jointly by US and Sri Lankan officials.
Currently only exports meant for the US are being subjected to these radiation checks.
The US decided to install the systems in Colombo in view of the high volume of Sri Lankan exports to the US.
Sixty-five per cent of Sri Lankan garments meant for export go to the US. The US had also noted that Colombo was a transport hub for cargo originating in many countries, including those in South Asia.
The availability of the CSI facility in Colombo would bring down the cost of exports to the US, as there would be a saving of US$ 1000 in inspection charges.
Other countries in South Asia, like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which export to the US, could also avail of the facility in Colombo and save on inspection charges, Colombo port officials said.
There is an increasing appreciation of Sri Lanka's strategic importance. The Indian Ocean island lies on the main shipping route between the West and the East.
Sri Lanka would gain greater importance in world shipping if Humbantota, in the deep south, is developed as a first class port as per present plans.
