CPA may instal computerised container terminal next year
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
FHM Humayan Kabir
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is likely to install a computerised container terminal in the country's prime port next year in order to boost its efficiency and reduce corruption, officials said Sunday.
A Singaporean company might be appointed within a month to set up the container terminal.
"Initially we have selected a Singaporean company for supply, installation and commissioning of a computerised container terminal management system and a management information system," a senior CPA official told the FE Sunday.
The automated terminal will reduce the cost of doing business in Bangladesh lower corruption, expedite import-export document processing and reduce operating cost of the port, he said requesting anonymity.
The highest public purchase body is likely to approve appointment of the Singaporean company -- M/S ST Electronic (Info-software system) private Ltd -- for the project in its next meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) in Dhaka.
Under the Trade Facilitation Project, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing financial support to the government to improve the efficiency of Chittagong port in a bid to reduce cost of doing businesses.
The CPA will implement the project consisting of five components at a cost of Tk 1.30 billion. Installation of the computerized container terminal is one of them, the CPA official said.
The CPA official said after evaluating the proposals of different bidders they selected three foreign companies for installing the automated container terminal.
Then the list was forwarded to ADB for selecting one of them. The Manila-based lender has selected the Singaporean company, he said.
The two other companies are: M/S CMC Limited, India and M/S KL-net Corporation, Korea, the official said.
"If the purchase committee approves the selected bidder, we will give work order to it within a very short time for completing the container terminal installation works within next year," the CPA official said.
Another official of the CPA said efficiency of the Chittagong port has already improved a lot over the last two years due to implementation of some reforms including setting up of the automated customs house.
The Chittagong port handled over one million containers in the last financial year 2007-08.
"There is a container terminal in the port where the proceesing is now being done manually. The neighbouring countries have already installed automated container terminals," he said.
"As the manual work will be eliminated after installing the proposed terminal, the table-to-table file works will be stopped. It will cut corruption and time for import and export conisgnments," the CPA official said.
He said the contactor would also install necessary software and machineries for documentation of the management information system (MIS) in the port terminal.
The joint report by the World Bank and its private sector financing arm International Finance Corporation (IFC) in the latest "Doing Business 2009" report said Bangladesh is still far behind from reducing the cost of doing businesses.
The report said the country needs 28 days in export and 32 days in import, 73 days in starting a business and 302 hours per year for paying taxes.
As a result, among the eight South Asian countries, Bangladesh's doing business ranking is fourth followed by the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but ahead of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
The senior CPA official said the automated container terminal would work linking with shipping agents, customs house, clearing and forwarding agents and other parties concerned in the port.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is likely to install a computerised container terminal in the country's prime port next year in order to boost its efficiency and reduce corruption, officials said Sunday.
A Singaporean company might be appointed within a month to set up the container terminal.
"Initially we have selected a Singaporean company for supply, installation and commissioning of a computerised container terminal management system and a management information system," a senior CPA official told the FE Sunday.
The automated terminal will reduce the cost of doing business in Bangladesh lower corruption, expedite import-export document processing and reduce operating cost of the port, he said requesting anonymity.
The highest public purchase body is likely to approve appointment of the Singaporean company -- M/S ST Electronic (Info-software system) private Ltd -- for the project in its next meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) in Dhaka.
Under the Trade Facilitation Project, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing financial support to the government to improve the efficiency of Chittagong port in a bid to reduce cost of doing businesses.
The CPA will implement the project consisting of five components at a cost of Tk 1.30 billion. Installation of the computerized container terminal is one of them, the CPA official said.
The CPA official said after evaluating the proposals of different bidders they selected three foreign companies for installing the automated container terminal.
Then the list was forwarded to ADB for selecting one of them. The Manila-based lender has selected the Singaporean company, he said.
The two other companies are: M/S CMC Limited, India and M/S KL-net Corporation, Korea, the official said.
"If the purchase committee approves the selected bidder, we will give work order to it within a very short time for completing the container terminal installation works within next year," the CPA official said.
Another official of the CPA said efficiency of the Chittagong port has already improved a lot over the last two years due to implementation of some reforms including setting up of the automated customs house.
The Chittagong port handled over one million containers in the last financial year 2007-08.
"There is a container terminal in the port where the proceesing is now being done manually. The neighbouring countries have already installed automated container terminals," he said.
"As the manual work will be eliminated after installing the proposed terminal, the table-to-table file works will be stopped. It will cut corruption and time for import and export conisgnments," the CPA official said.
He said the contactor would also install necessary software and machineries for documentation of the management information system (MIS) in the port terminal.
The joint report by the World Bank and its private sector financing arm International Finance Corporation (IFC) in the latest "Doing Business 2009" report said Bangladesh is still far behind from reducing the cost of doing businesses.
The report said the country needs 28 days in export and 32 days in import, 73 days in starting a business and 302 hours per year for paying taxes.
As a result, among the eight South Asian countries, Bangladesh's doing business ranking is fourth followed by the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but ahead of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
The senior CPA official said the automated container terminal would work linking with shipping agents, customs house, clearing and forwarding agents and other parties concerned in the port.