CPA ignores JS body\\\'s decision on purchase of equipment for NCT

Syful Islam | Published: May 19, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is going to buy equipment for New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) violating the decision of a relevant parliamentary (JS) committee.
The committee earlier asked the CPA not to invest from its own fund since the terminal will be operated under private sector, sources said.
The parliamentary committee on ministry of shipping (MoS) took the decision on April 30 last in its first meeting where shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, Shipping Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam, CPA chairman Nizamuddin Ahmed were also present.
The meeting had decided that since the NCT would be operated by private sector operators, the CPA should not spend any money on procurement of equipment for the terminal.
Just a few weeks after the decision, the CPA has taken initiative to float an international tender to buy six key gantry cranes worth Tk 4.0 billion for the NCT.
CPA member Nazrul Islam told the FE Sunday that advertisement on tender for buying six gantry cranes had already been sent to the newspaper offices for publication.
When his attention was drawn relating to a parliamentary committee decision in this regard, he said the CPA is yet to receive any directive on this issue.
"Since we did not get any directive, it's not a violation of the parliamentary committee decision," Mr Islam said replying to another question. He said that procurement of big equipment takes nearly two years and as such "we are floating the tender immediately to make the NCT operational soon."
When contacted, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee, Rafiqul Islam, MP told the FE Sunday that he had heard about the CPA move to procure equipment from its own fund contrary to the committee's directive.
"It's a clear violation of our decision. I will take next steps soon in consultation with other members of the committee," he said.
Mr Islam said since the shipping minister, the secretary and the CPA chairman were present in the meeting, they are well aware of the decision.
"If they do not follow our decision, we may take the issue to the parliament and to the higher authority," he said.
Mr Islam said private operators themselves are supposed to procure the equipment on their own since they will be benefited by operating the terminal.
"May be the CPA people have their own interest in buying equipment from the port's fund. That's why they are taking the risk of violating parliamentary committee's decision," he said.
Mr Islam said they could have discussed the issue again with the parliamentary committee if the procurement from CPA fund was necessary. "They just violated our decision."
Committee member M Abdul Latif, MP told the FE Sunday there was no justification of investing from CPA fund to procure equipment for the terminal though the decision was taken to run the infrastructure by private operator.
CPA chairman Nizamuddin Ahmed, at a press conference late last month said some 61 equipment worth Tk 15 billion will be bought by the port to make the NCT operational soon.
He said necessary preparation for inviting tender for procurement of the equipment has been completed.
Both the CPA chairman and the shipping secretary could not be reached for comment Sunday since they were abroad.
Construction of the Tk 5.82 billion terminal ended in December 2007. But the one-kilometre-long terminal with five jetties is yet to be fully functional due to complication over appointment of its operator.