Gearing Up To Ease Congestion

The Chittagong Port Authority along with the Customs and off-dock workers are putting in a concerted effort to ease out movement of cargo.

- Omer Ahmed Siddiqui

All the banks at Chittagong Port have been directed to operate 24/7 along with the port authority and Customs; private ICDs that do not deliver quick and efficient services stand to lose their license; the Bangladesh Land Port Authority (MLPA) has been instructed to construct an alternative road for transportation of goods, while the port operates 24/7 to evacuate cargo; landlord port model will be introduced to reduce the port authority’s involvement in operations; the off-dock workers and the port authority will procure more equipment to facilitate swift movement of cargo. The ICDs will impose CFS cut-off time for exporters for sending export cargo so that the ICDs can maintain cut-off time for sending export laden containers to the Chittagong Port. The ICDs will send export laden containers to the port between berthing of vessel and six hours before their sailing. The ICDs will also try to take out import laden containers of their designated 37 items at the shortest possible time. Bids have been invited for erecting a specialised terminal to handle bulk cargoes at the port.

Chittagong Customs House has jumped into action dispatching 94 assistant revenue officers and nine assistant commissioners for supporting the exim operations 24/7. The CPA will provide an export yard of at least 1000 teus at the CCT (Chittagong Container Terminal) and at NCT (New Mooring Container Terminal) within a short time and will transfer 4,200 teus of containers meant for auction to the newly-built silo yard. It is to be noted that neither CCT nor NCT has any export yard at present for export containers to facilitate the ICDs to go directly to the vessels' hook point to load export containers onto vessels.