Empowering CPA vital for more functional Ctg Port

CHITTAGONG, Mar 22: Stakeholders at a workshop on Strategic Master Plan for Chittagong Port Saturday emphasised the need for empowering the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) so that it can be more functional and can take most of the decisions without fully depending on concerned ministries.
The Asian Development Bank extended US$ 1.0 million to get the Master Plan prepared by the German firm Hamburg Port Consulting GmbH for development of Chittagong Port over the next 30 years to 2043.
The objective of the project is elaboration of a master plan for development of Chittagong Port that includes assessment of characteristics of the existing port operations and the existing and planned maritime and landside infrastructure, and preparation of an overall port development framework.
Moderated and chaired by Peter W Cardebring, team leader of the HPC Hamburg Port Consulting of Hamburg, the workshop was addressed by Secretary of the ministry of shipping (MoS) Syed Monjurul Islam as chief guest and CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed as special guest.
Stakeholders said due to the government's dillydallying with port transit India now was going ahead with building the Sitwe port in Myanmar.
Ms Christina Prieser, traffic economist of the consulting firm, elaborated on the port handling potential of Chittagong Port until 2043, Werner Schenkirsch, senior operations expert of the consulting firm, on the port operations under the Chittagong Port Master Plan, and Norbert Peetz, port and river engineer of Sellhorn Engineering, Hamburg, identified the status of quays and terminal areas.
Werner said the CPA "has a large land area close to the port parameter." Thus the CPA should establish container truck parking facilities near the gate areas where container trucks are allocated dedicated entry. For general cargo vehicles in the GC berths such parking areas should be near the allocated GC gates, Werner said.
Speaking on the occasion, Shipping Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam said the government took a lot of initiatives for infrastructure development, trade facilitation and enhancement of the growth rate with a vision to achieve the middle-income nation status by 2021.
"Come up with a developed model which will make the port dynamic," he said. He said the government was firm to build the Sonadia deep-sea port as a hub port.
Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association president and QNS Container Services Ltd chairman Nurul Quayyum Khan said Bangladesh with immense possibilities was visibly on the course of becoming a developed country. In order to help achieve the goal, the optimum utilisation of the port would have to be ensured.
"The efficiency of Chittagong Port now largely depends on the smooth and fast operational flow between Chittagong Port and the inland container depots that are now working as associate operational entities of the port," he said.
If Chittagong Port is to be made the gateway to a vibrant commercial hub with a view to catering to the need of ASEAN countries and seven-sister states of India, the efficiency and operational pace of the port would have to be maximised considerably, he added.