CTMS to be launched at Ctg Port in April
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The much hyped container terminal management system (CTMS) is expected to be launched at Chittagong Port in April this year in an effort to bring dynamism in the port activities, officials said.
The initiative to set up CTMS at the country's chief port was taken in 2004, but the authorities failed to implement the system on various grounds.
"We're expecting to launch trial operation of the CTMS at the port in April next aiming at expediting the cargo movement," Commodore RU Ahmed, chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), told the FE.
He said: "This will ensure an international standard of port management. Consignees will benefit much from the system."
The CTMS is mainly a computerised system, which may reduce the port's turnaround time to less than 24 hours from the existing 2-4 days, port officials hinted.
CTMS is the state-of-the-art software technology for operating a modern container terminal serving international shipping lines and port users.
The CPA is implementing the CTMS project at a cost of Tk 380 million. The US-based Navis, which has provided its CTMS technology to around 70 per cent ports globally, is providing software, while ST Info of Singapore is supplying the devices and other materials for the project.
Psion Teklogis of Canada is working on networking, while local software company DataSoft has been engaged for the maintenance for a period of five years.
Arun Kumar Bhattacharya, deputy project director (computerisation) of the CPA, said: "We've already set up three data centres for this purpose. I expect to go live from April."
Mr Arun said: "If an equipment operator keeps a container in a place which is not meant for it, then the programme will instantly give signal."
He said searching of containers from thousand of containers will be much easier under the CTMS.
Mr Arun said: "The CTMS is being used as an anti corruption tool globally."
Captain Rafiqul Islam, country director of Singapore-based PIL, a feeder vessel operator, said: "This should have been implemented much earlier as all international ports are now being operated by the CTMS."
He also said feeder vessels' waiting time at the port will reduce sharply and port efficiency will grow fast.
The much hyped container terminal management system (CTMS) is expected to be launched at Chittagong Port in April this year in an effort to bring dynamism in the port activities, officials said.
The initiative to set up CTMS at the country's chief port was taken in 2004, but the authorities failed to implement the system on various grounds.
"We're expecting to launch trial operation of the CTMS at the port in April next aiming at expediting the cargo movement," Commodore RU Ahmed, chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), told the FE.
He said: "This will ensure an international standard of port management. Consignees will benefit much from the system."
The CTMS is mainly a computerised system, which may reduce the port's turnaround time to less than 24 hours from the existing 2-4 days, port officials hinted.
CTMS is the state-of-the-art software technology for operating a modern container terminal serving international shipping lines and port users.
The CPA is implementing the CTMS project at a cost of Tk 380 million. The US-based Navis, which has provided its CTMS technology to around 70 per cent ports globally, is providing software, while ST Info of Singapore is supplying the devices and other materials for the project.
Psion Teklogis of Canada is working on networking, while local software company DataSoft has been engaged for the maintenance for a period of five years.
Arun Kumar Bhattacharya, deputy project director (computerisation) of the CPA, said: "We've already set up three data centres for this purpose. I expect to go live from April."
Mr Arun said: "If an equipment operator keeps a container in a place which is not meant for it, then the programme will instantly give signal."
He said searching of containers from thousand of containers will be much easier under the CTMS.
Mr Arun said: "The CTMS is being used as an anti corruption tool globally."
Captain Rafiqul Islam, country director of Singapore-based PIL, a feeder vessel operator, said: "This should have been implemented much earlier as all international ports are now being operated by the CTMS."
He also said feeder vessels' waiting time at the port will reduce sharply and port efficiency will grow fast.