Int'l tender for NCT operation soon

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FE Report
The Shipping Adviser MA Matin asked officials of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Sunday to float international tender for private operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) shortly.
Adviser Matin held a meeting with CPA officials in Chittagong on the day to discuss matters related to the port.
Sources at the CPA told FE Sunday that it is planning to invite international bid for operation of the NCT within the next three weeks.
"The government formed a major terms and conditions committee last week for floating bid of the NCT and we need its approval before floating the tender," said a port official.
The government formed the committee last week after obtaining approval from the national economic affairs committee. The CPA chairman, Omar Faruk, has been made head of the committee.
Earlier, an inter-ministerial meeting relaxed the tender terms and conditions to ensure wider participation in the bid.
According to CPA's earlier tender conditions, participating companies must have at least 10 years experience in terminal development and three to five years of port operational know-how to qualify for bidding.
Sources at the CPA claimed that the qualifying conditions have now been relaxed to encourage more competitive participation in the bid.
The government took the decision to privatise NCT on the basis of supply-operating and transfer (SOT) method.
The NCT might go into operation by next December and it is expected that the persisting container congestion at the port will be eased after its operation starts.