CPA, stakeholders at loggerheads over turnaround time
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Pankaj Dastider
CHITTAGONG, Jun 29: The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is at loggerheads with many of its stakeholders over low productivity, increase of turnaround time of the vessels and extra costs situation of vessels working at the general container berths.
The shipping agents, RMG exporters and other stakeholders are concerned at the drastic fall of cargo handling since May 10 last when the CPA took over the handling of both bulk and container vessels at the port's general cargo berths (GCBs).
Bangladesh shipping agents association (BSAA) chairman in a letter to the CPA chairman on June 22 last said that there had been no improvement of productivity of vessels and increase of turnaround time in spite of the CPA's repeated assurance.
The shipping agents need to pay extra payments due to overstay of vessels, BSAA chairman Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury said.
"This has also added $45,000-$50,000 on charter-hire/berth hire/fuel consumption cost as additional expenses," he wrote in the letter.
The CPA chairman commodore RU Ahmed told the FE that such allegations are baseless. The vessels' turnaround time was not increased. It is that same stay time of vessels below 3.5 days on an average in the GCBs as it was two months back, he said.
CHITTAGONG, Jun 29: The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is at loggerheads with many of its stakeholders over low productivity, increase of turnaround time of the vessels and extra costs situation of vessels working at the general container berths.
The shipping agents, RMG exporters and other stakeholders are concerned at the drastic fall of cargo handling since May 10 last when the CPA took over the handling of both bulk and container vessels at the port's general cargo berths (GCBs).
Bangladesh shipping agents association (BSAA) chairman in a letter to the CPA chairman on June 22 last said that there had been no improvement of productivity of vessels and increase of turnaround time in spite of the CPA's repeated assurance.
The shipping agents need to pay extra payments due to overstay of vessels, BSAA chairman Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury said.
"This has also added $45,000-$50,000 on charter-hire/berth hire/fuel consumption cost as additional expenses," he wrote in the letter.
The CPA chairman commodore RU Ahmed told the FE that such allegations are baseless. The vessels' turnaround time was not increased. It is that same stay time of vessels below 3.5 days on an average in the GCBs as it was two months back, he said.