CPA to slap penal rents on storage of imported cars

Jasim Uddin Haroon brThe Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is mulling over to slap penal rents higher by four times on the storage of imported cars as it has been struggling to accommodate new arrival at the car yards.brPort officials said there are more than 4000 cars at the yards against the capacity of 2600 cars.brCurrently, the port has not been allowing berth of a car carrier that has been waiting at the outer anchorage since September 3. The ro-ro car carrier owned by NYK Shipping is carrying over 1500 cars.brHow will we allow new imported cars at the port when we don't have any space earmarked for them, said Motaher Hossain, deputy director (traffic) and in-charge-of car yard told the FE Saturday.brHe also said it might impose the penal rents after September 15 next.brSources said the delivery of car has declined sharply over the past one month as the reconditioned car importers are not taking delivery over the complexity in fixation of depreciation rates of the imported vehicles.brThe port has two sheds - X and Y - for storing cars and it also keeps cars under open sky near the two sheds.brIf the proposed penal rent is imposed, car importers will have to pay Tk 392 as rent for a period of seven days after the expiry of four free-day of stay in yard. Currently, they are paying Tk 98 for the period of seven days after the free stay.brHowever, the next slab of seven days the penal rents will be Tk 984 and the last slab will cost a car importer Tk 1,560 for every day until the set period of 45 days. brPort officials said that the poor delivery by the importers is the main reason behind such a congestion at the port.brOne senior official at the port said it had delivered only 52 cars on Thursday against around 200 in normal period.brThe port did not make any delivery of car on Friday.brOn the other hands, leaders of Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) said they are not taking delivery of cars due to anomalies in depreciation rate for reconditioned cars. The government has given depreciation rate at 30 per cent for six years old car, which was earlier applicable to four-year old vehicles. brThis still makes the car expensive like previously, said Abdul Huq, BARVIDA president said. brHe said The government will allow import of six-year old reconditioned vehicles with depreciation for four years only. It is unrealistic and illogical.