BGMEA urges CPA to relax decree

The country's clothing exporters have voiced their concern over the Chittagong Port Authority's (CPA) latest order regarding mandatory departure of vessels within 48 hours of berthing.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has written a letter to the CPA, requesting it to relax the directive in the interest of the country's exports, especially for the clothing sector.

The letter said the CPA recently ordered container vessels to leave the port within 48 hours of berthing. It is applicable for the vessels, carrying less than 1,500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers.

The BGMEA letter also said some vessels already left the port without taking some booked goods as a result of the directive, which is impacting their shipments.

They named two vessels - HR Aari and Hermann Scheper - that left the port on June 01 without carrying 116 TEUs and 11 TEUs of goods respectively - following the directive.

Syed Nazrul Islam, first vice president of the BGMEA, told the FE that the RMG sector should get priority, as it occupies the largest share of the country's export.

"We are in favour of the CPA's steps to make the port more efficient, but it should be done gradually," he noted.

When contacted, CPA Secretary Omar Faruque told the FE: "Our objective behind the measure is to expedite cargo movements in the port. If one vessel takes much time in the jetty, it creates problems for other vessels."

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