Ensuring efficient operations at Chittagong Port
Monday, 6 December 2010
Anwarul Haque
The advisory committee that was formed to deal with the affairs of Chittagong port did express its concern over violence by a section of port workers and their backers, witnessed in the port from time to time. The army was called in, prior to the formation of the committee.
The paralysis that grips the port at times does reflect a sordid state of things. Full functioning of the port is critically important for its smooth operations in the interests of businesses for their competitive survival. The turnaround time of ships that increased to 10-14 days earlier, before the recent disruption to activities in the port from violence. Later on, it declined appreciably to three or four days.
Such positive developments are the most desired thing about the port. This must be made on a sustained basis. This is exactly the point of concern for the port’s users. Businesses would like to see that the port continue to run at an optimum level of efficiency. They remain rightly concerned over any deterioration the port’s conditions under no circumstances.
It may be recalled that from 2007, the then caretaker government shook up the century-old system of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and introduced a single point integrated berth operating by using the army. This and other reforms had then revolutionized the working of the port for the better. The turn-around time of ships at that time came down to two to 2.5 days from six to eight days or longer.
The system was working from keeping it, after the exit of the caretaker government. But gradually the system disintegrated. And that was reflected in the steadily worsening conditions and finally the coming to a standstill all activities of the port when the army took over in the early part of last October. This happened for the expressed reasons of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) , the relevant ministry and the workers’ unions, failing to act in concert with the lasting good of the port in their focus.
The vested interests who were at work in recent years to undermine the port’s efficiency for their selfish gains, appear to be making efforts, at every opportune moment, to stage a comeback. The recent problems in the port that reached a flash point a few months ago, did not occur spontaneously. It was in the making for the last several months, prior to that when the port’s conditions progressively deteriorated. The writing was there in the wall for all to see. But hardly any proactive stance was noted on the part of the authorities to head the same off.
In this context, the view of all categories of users of the facilities at the Chittagong port from the standpoint of business is that it (port) must not be allowed to go back to a state of under-performance again. It is too vital an economic or business infrastructure to be allowed to be threatened, again and again. They want building up of the port’s institutions, including legal and other frameworks, to ensure that the vested interests find it impossible to reassert their power or influence any time there.
The advisory committee that was formed to deal with the affairs of Chittagong port did express its concern over violence by a section of port workers and their backers, witnessed in the port from time to time. The army was called in, prior to the formation of the committee.
The paralysis that grips the port at times does reflect a sordid state of things. Full functioning of the port is critically important for its smooth operations in the interests of businesses for their competitive survival. The turnaround time of ships that increased to 10-14 days earlier, before the recent disruption to activities in the port from violence. Later on, it declined appreciably to three or four days.
Such positive developments are the most desired thing about the port. This must be made on a sustained basis. This is exactly the point of concern for the port’s users. Businesses would like to see that the port continue to run at an optimum level of efficiency. They remain rightly concerned over any deterioration the port’s conditions under no circumstances.
It may be recalled that from 2007, the then caretaker government shook up the century-old system of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and introduced a single point integrated berth operating by using the army. This and other reforms had then revolutionized the working of the port for the better. The turn-around time of ships at that time came down to two to 2.5 days from six to eight days or longer.
The system was working from keeping it, after the exit of the caretaker government. But gradually the system disintegrated. And that was reflected in the steadily worsening conditions and finally the coming to a standstill all activities of the port when the army took over in the early part of last October. This happened for the expressed reasons of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) , the relevant ministry and the workers’ unions, failing to act in concert with the lasting good of the port in their focus.
The vested interests who were at work in recent years to undermine the port’s efficiency for their selfish gains, appear to be making efforts, at every opportune moment, to stage a comeback. The recent problems in the port that reached a flash point a few months ago, did not occur spontaneously. It was in the making for the last several months, prior to that when the port’s conditions progressively deteriorated. The writing was there in the wall for all to see. But hardly any proactive stance was noted on the part of the authorities to head the same off.
In this context, the view of all categories of users of the facilities at the Chittagong port from the standpoint of business is that it (port) must not be allowed to go back to a state of under-performance again. It is too vital an economic or business infrastructure to be allowed to be threatened, again and again. They want building up of the port’s institutions, including legal and other frameworks, to ensure that the vested interests find it impossible to reassert their power or influence any time there.