CPA picks operator for Dhaka ICD-bound cargoes by Feb 8

CHITTAGONG, Feb 2: The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is going to select a private operator next weekend for loading and unloading of containerised cargoes bound for Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD).

Sources in the port said two firms last week submitted quotations for handling containerised cargoes in the port jetty, which are bound for the ICD by railway from Chittagong port.

A senior port official said Saif Powertec Ltd and Everest Enterprise submitted their technical and price offers on January 30, the last date for dropping the same.

The CPA technical committee opened the technical quotations of the parties while the three-member body headed by Member (Admin) of the CPA will evaluate the price offers this week.

The CPA called tender quotations from cargo handling operators having 10 years experience and capable of loading and unloading some 90,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) containers per annum in the port jetty bound for ICD at Kamalapur Railway Station.

The three-member technical committee headed by Member (Harbour and Marine) of CPA Commodore M Shahjahan told the FE that the two parties had deposited quotations separately.

"If the technical quotations conform with conditions of the tender the price quotations will be opened. The highest bidder will be selected from the two," he said. Two other members of the technical committee are Director (Traffic) Golam Sarwar and Chief Finance and Accounts Officer Habibur Rahman.

Kamalapur ICD handled 424,784 tonnes of cargoes of 56,447 TEUs in 2013. Of the figure, there were 28,210 TEUs of import containers and 28,237 TEUs of containers with export goods.

The total volume of containerised cargoes handled in 2013 by Chittagong Port including Kamalapur ICD was 1,541,517 containers that saw a growth of 9.6 per cent over the containers of the previous year (2012).