CHATTOGRAM, May 12: Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is going to request the government to provide special incentive to the officials and workers of Chittagong Port for their dedicated service during the ongoing government holiday due to coronavirus outbreak.
CPA Member Md Jafar Alam formed an eight-member committee on May 5 to fix the incentive proposal, sources said.
CPA Director (Administration) Mominur Rashid is leading the committee as convenor, while its members are Captain Faridul Alam, Director (Transport) Enamul Karim, Chief Accounts Officer Md Habibur Rahman, Chief Audit Officer Md Rafiqul Alam, Secretary of CPA Md Omar Faruk, and Chittagong Port CBA president Abul Mansur Ahamed and general secretary Md Naibul Islam.
The committee already held a meeting, where its members discussed about the incentive for port's staff members, as they are working day and night during the government holiday.
The committee may propose providing two months' salary for each of them as incentive for their special work during the coronavirus outbreak.
After getting proposal from the committee, CPA will request the ministry concerned to take steps in this regard, the sources also said.
Chittagong port, the country's prime seaport, is continuing its operational activities 24 hours despite the outbreak. As a result, the port officials and workers are working during the government holiday from March 26 until now.
According to the CPA officials, the port's operational activities including loading and unloading of containers and cargoes, and shipments etc are continuing normally.
Besides, Chattogram Customs House is also continuing its activities for clearing containers and cargoes as well as ensuring delivery of goods within the schedule.
CPA Member Md Jafar Alam said, "Chittagong Port is continuing its operational activities 24 hours to maintain the supply chain in the country. Our workers are working day and night amid life risk. We have already distributed protective kits among them to save them from coronavirus infection."
It may be mentioned that the port officials and workers have been given special incentives on its founding day every year. But, this year the 133th port day passed on April 25 without any programme for the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, the port officials and workers did not get any incentive.
Moreover, they donated their one day's salary to the Prime Minister's fund for controlling the outbreak in the country.
Subsequently, more than 7,000 staff members of the port urged the government to allocate the proposed special incentives for them.
An FE Report adds: Chittagong Port Authority on Tuesday said that it would impose four times higher penal rents on the refrigerated containers from May 17, if no improvement is visible in delivery of the same by this time.
A notice issued by the CPA on the day said there are around 2600 TEUs of containers which is almost equivalent to its capacity.
It said as a result new containers cannot now be stored for lack of spaces at the designated yards of the port.
Refrigerated containers or reefer containers need electricity to keep the goods fresh. Fruits, onion, fish, meat and other such goods are usually transported in such containers.
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