The Government of Uruguay has taken a significant step in optimizing its customs controls with the inauguration of Three new container scanners at the Port of Montevideo. According to information provided by the National Customs Directorate, the event, held this Wednesday (02.10.2024), was headed by the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, together with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche, and the National Director of Customs, Cr. Jaime Borgiani. Among those present were also several ministers and national authorities, as well as representatives of the foreign trade sector.
In his speech, the National Director of Customs, Jaime Borgiani, stressed the importance of this new technological tool to strengthen the capacity to analyze and detect irregularities. “We now have tools that we did not have before. This marks a milestone in the fight against cargo contamination,” he said. In addition, Borgiani recalled that, when he took office, there was only one scanner in operation since 2007, which considerably limited controls, especially in exports and transits, which largely passed without inspection. In recent years, not only was this new equipment acquired, but 200 new officials were also hired to improve surveillance.
The head of the Uruguayan Customs also stressed that the fight against drug trafficking has been a priority in his administration, highlighting the seizure of more than 11 tons of drugs, which he described as a historic record. "Until this administration, drugs were not seized directly," he emphasized.
For its part, the Minister of Economy, Azucena Arbeleche, welcomed the completion of this process of modernization of customs control. “These state-of-the-art scanners, together with the control center, represent a crucial advance in the quality of inspections,” he said. Arbeleche also highlighted the importance of this technology to improve security in foreign trade and in the fight against drug trafficking, stating that the ultimate goal is to provide greater citizen security.
Regarding cargo scanning at the Port of Montevideo, it is important to remember that the provisions relevant were established in the Resolution 56 / 2024 of the National Customs Directorate. This General Resolution comes into force today, following the publication of the operating license issued by the National Regulatory Authority for Radiation Protection of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining.
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