Ctg Port users press for easing lighterage congestion

CHATTOGRAM, May 24: Port users urged Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to fix cleaning charge of containers and a time frame for discharging cargo from lightering vessels.
Leaders of Port Users Forum (PUF) made the call during a meeting at Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in the port city on Wednesday.
CCCI President and PUF Chairman Mahbubul Alam chaired the meeting, attended by representatives of all stakeholders of Chittagong Port and other concerned agencies.
During the meeting, the port users called for resolving the congestion of lightering vessels in the port area by constructing pontoon jetties on emergency basis.
MA Latif, MP, Parliamentary Standing Committee Member for the Ministry of Shipping and former CCCI president, was present at the meeting as the chief guest and spoke.
He said that the country's import and export have multiplied with the gradual growth of the national economy.
Keeping pace with the national economic growth, the Chittagong Port Authority has already constructed five lighterage jetties at Sadarghat, he noted.
Besides, four other lighterage jetties are being constructed at Laldiar Char at Patenga, he mentioned.
He expected that congestion of ships in the port area will ease with completion of the new four jetties.
"Efficiency of the port will grow much higher," he said.
"It will further brighten the image of the port in the maritime world."
Activities in the port have not been halted for a single hour since the assumption of state power by the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2009, he further said.
"This will help implement the Vision 2021 and Vision 2041 of the government and continuation of this progress must be maintained at any cost," he added.
PUF Chairman Mahbubul Alam observed that absence of a concrete guideline on realising the charges by shipping agents often caused misunderstanding among the stakeholders.
On the other hand, lack of adequate jetty facilities for cargo delivery from the lighterages and lack of modern management are causing delay in discharge of cargo, he viewed.
Mentioning that the concerned ministry recently announced the time limit for discharging cargo from the lighterages, he called for re-fixing the time line.
The concerned authorities need to resolve the problem urgently, he added.
The PUF leaders who attended the meeting had threadbare discussion on the prevailing problem on the axle load control system at Sitakunda.
Problems arising out of realisation of extra charges by prime movers and covered vans operators at the inland container depots (ICDs) also came up for discussion.
The PUF leaders suggested to organise an emergency meeting of all stakeholders in order to arrive at a consensus on resolving the issues.
They advised to invite chief secretary of the PMO, finance secretary, commerce secretary, shipping secretary, road transport and bridges secretary, NBR chairman, CPA chairman and Chittagong Customs House commissioner for the meeting.
Customs C&F Agents Association President AKM Akhtar Hossain, CCCI directors MA Motaleb, Anjan Shekhar Das and Tarafdar Ruhul Amin, BKMEA former director Shawkat Osman and Bangladesh Sipping Agents' Association President Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury, were also present and spoke.
Besides, Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association Vice President Abdul Karim, Truck and Covered Van Owners' Association General Secretary Chowdhury Jafar Ahmed, Prime Mover Owners' Association acting president Abu Bakkar Siddique and CCCI Vice President Syed Jamal Ahmed attended the programme, among others.

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