MoS asks CPA to get tough as graft allegations rife

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Syful Islam Amid allegations of corruption and irregularities in port activities the ministry of shipping (MoS) asked the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Wednesday to ensure transparency and accountability, sources said. The MoS sent a letter to the CPA chairman in this connection asking the latter to conduct necessary investigation and take action against the people found involved in irregularities, they added. Over the recent months the MoS received a number of allegations from different quarters about corruption in port activities. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), a number of parliamentarians and political leaders and also some civil society organisations made the allegations. They raised allegation of corruption in different areas of port activities, including vessel procurement, dredging, Container Terminal Management System (CTMS) and the tender process relating to different development activities at the port. Different media outlets also published a number of reports about the alleged irregularities, which embarrassed the government high-ups, the letter mentioned. A senior MoS official told the FE that different quarters were involved in the irregularities at the country's prime seaport. The ministry asked the CPA several times in the past to take action against the people concerned and ensure transparency in port activities. He, however, said since influential people resorted to the irregularities, the menace hardly could be minimised. Years back the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in its study on 'Problems and Potential of Chittagong Port: A Follow-up Diagnostic Study' detected different irregularities at the port. It found irregularities in dock-worker management and activities of Pre-shipment Inspection (PSI) companies as well as illegal collection of tolls on the pretext of various charges and misappropriation of money by giving fictitious names of workers. The TIB found that bribes were usually paid at 12-13 points for obtaining the order for release of a consignment from the Customs House, even if all the papers were flawless. "Bribes have to be paid at least at 30 spots for releasing a consignment from the customs house and the port. Speed money amounting to Tk 12,000-15,000 has to be paid at different levels for a 20-feet container during its unloading after payment of port charges and customs duties by the clearing and forwarding and shipping agents," it mentioned.