The People’s Republic of China has donated US $5 million in surveillance technology to the Customs and Excise Division of Antigua and Barbuda.
On Friday, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and His Excellency Ambassador Sun Ang, China’s Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, participated in an official signing ceremony for what is being called the Customs and Border Security Improvement Project.
“Antigua and Barbuda is making every effort to secure its borders, and certainly the security technology that we are receiving here from the People’s Republic of China will help us to deal with a number of illicit goods, contraband, drugs, firearms, and even explosives that would have literally come through our shores from time to time.” said Browne
“Especially through the Customs department through containerised cargo. It also will help us to increase efficiency in that we longer have to unpack and repack containers. We can now scan these containers and see exactly what the content or contents are.” Browne added.
Browne also mentioned that this project could be an opportunity to increase the country’s revenue.
“We have a number of creative business people on the island who have been able to literally hide their most valuable imports; surround them with the less valuable ones outside of the sight of the Customs officers, and in some instances, you have a situation in which they are able to literally conceal contraband as well. So this is very important in terms of securing our nation; making our nation safer, while at the same time helping us to identify precisely the items that are imported within our country, and at the same time to ensure that these business people pay their fair share of Customs duties and taxes,” Browne explained.
The equipment donated include a mobile container or vehicle inspection system, an X-ray inspection system, a radioactive material monitoring system, an X-ray CT inspection system, twenty sets of hand-held metal detectors and 3 sets of portable trace explosives/drug detectors.
Comptroller of Customs, Raju Boddu shared the same sentiments as PM Browne remarking that the implementation of this project will also enhance productivity of the Customs and Excise division.
“In order to accomplish this, the introduction of non-intrusive detection systems – what we call scanners – will enhance the capability of the Customs to non-intrusively inspect cargo and passenger bags, and so speed up the process times and losing times. The cost incurred by stakeholders as a result of time delays will be drastically cut down and better the ease of doing business. This use of non-intrusive technology will benefit us two-fold,” he stated.
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Gaston well versed on how to hide and conceal from detection! Is it from experience or education! I wonder.
Maybe from John Ashe? Or those 3 ppl who registered the buses in their own personal names. Imagine someone gives you a gift for somebody else and you keep it for yourself.
CONGRATULATIONS …BLESSINGS
Another good example of socialist solidarity. This is excellent. Some of these shady characters are going to be caught including those so-called business people who hide this expensive items. Go get ’em. Lock ’em up. The Tiger (symbol of China) is going to hunt you down. This is true solidarity. Thank you Mr. Prime Minister and the People’s Republic of China. Seems we are seeing who our real friends are.
Thank you China for this gift. I hope one day soon Antigua citizens can have visa-free access into mainland China.
China does not give anything without a payback of some sort, and of course this begs the question…will the containers destined for the “so called” way too oversized to be an embassy be checked in any way so that we can be assured they are not building these mammoth structures with their huge underground bunkers to house anything that might be a threat to us or anyone else on this side of the globe. It is very doubtful that many Antiguans would really want to visit a communist country that is also very racist against black people. The majority of Antiguans don’t even want this continuous influx of Chinese into this island setting up grubby looking shops and restaurants that sell cheap plastic junk and questionable hygiene with the latter. The govt. appears to want to kiss derriere after these people because of rip-off (corrupt?) projects and “gifts”. The people need to wake up and see that we are and will be the big time losers of our democracy, lands and country in this crap!!
no man …jus u wait! who na hear will feel! (Truer words have never been said)… Then afterward they gona run pon dem belly a bawl!!!!
China NEEDS TO ALSO DONATE SCHOLARS TO DETECT PM & MP’s HIDDEN INTERNATIONAL ACCTS….
HIGH TECH CPA’s THAT CAN UNCOVER ALL THE FINANCIAL EMBELLZELLMENTS THAT THE PM HIDES.
WHO REALLY FUNDED POINTE FM.?
WHO really funded UWI ..FIVE ISLAND CAMPUS?
Why isnt the PM ASSESTS MADE PUBLIC? As well as theMP’s
WHAT IS THE ANTIGUA GOVT GIVING CHINA IN RETURN FOR ALL ITS FINANCIAL AIDS?
Hopefully the Chinese can implement a device to catch the burglars at the beach area, everything Chinese I think now we can change antigua name to (Chinantigunese) lol. We really need international help on island to make things run effectively.
Never back to this country. Worst than Africa.
Let me enlighten Antiguans. We must start to show appreciation to the Chinese. The Chinese are helping Antiguans. Show appreciation and stop all the RHETORIC.
How about you grow a pair and see the bigger picture..but guess all they do for us..hope you can pay back all the loans when the country cant. Go to China and talk about God and see what happens
Its sad when a country is always looking for handouts .as an independent country i repeat independent. They need leaders who think independently by the time they done sell antigua to china antiguans will need a visa to come to our country
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