The National Customs Service launched a new technology for the identification of containers in response to the strategy developed by the Ministry of Finance to improve the control mechanisms in containers. The project would be made up of two parts: installation and informing the institutions involved with the border control.
It is expected that the new security system is fully ready for the first quarter of 2019. They started the installation of new equipment in December 2018.
This first installation was given with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA), which would consist of radiofrequency (RFID) antennas at the Peñas Blancas and Paso Canoas Customs, as well as in all border crossings in Central America.
Then they proceed with the installation of a radio frequency device in the transport unit. The latter equipment allows the transmission of data to a SIECA computer program, which operates at the regional level.
Some of the countries that have already used this technology have managed to reduce transit times by up to 40% and the cost of transport by up to 30%. It also facilitates the integration of border control processes and encourages coordinated border management,”
explained Juan Carlos Gómez, general director of Customs.
This project responds to one of the five short-term measures of the Central American Integration Strategy to Improve Trade Facilitation and Competitiveness, with the support of SIECA, while responding to the program of complementary controls of the General Directorate of Customs, as explained by the Ministry of Finance.