Full infrastructure still wanting in Akhaura landport
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Our Correspondent
BRAHMANBARIA, Apr 20: Local chamber leaders and businessmen have demanded proper infrastructure development in the adjacent areas of the newly-upgraded Akhaura landport to harness the real benefit of the economic establishment. "The government must ensure the logistic support like banking and storage facilities with adequate power supply in and around the land port, otherwise, all the attempts to reap economic and social benefits will hardly reap any result," President of Brahmanbaria Chamber of Commerce and Industry Md Jahangir Alam Bhuiyan told the Financial Express. Bhuiyan also put thrust on developing the road infrastructure between Brahmanbaria town and Akhaura via Sultanpur. Monir Hossain Babul, Secretary of Akhaura C&F agents said that the business activities of the land port is badly hampered in absence of banking, storage, weighing machine, fax, computer and internet service facilities. "If the government solves these problems soon, this land port will be able to play a key role to widen the trade relations between Bangladesh and India." The land port, having ware-house, office complex, open-yard, truck parking yard was constructed on 15 acres of land at a cost of Tk 87.50 million. Land port authority developed the land and built preliminary infrastructure at a cost of Tk 45.00 million in its first phase. About 10 trucks can now carry goods within 250 yards from the zero point of the border connecting Akhaura land port with Agartala town of the Indian state of Tripura. Hamidur Rahman, a warehouse superintendent of Akhaura land port said, the authority will establish a generator for power house at a cost of Tk 2.50 million, set up weight scales at a cost of Tk 3 million and terminal shade at a cost of Tk 10 within a short time. Port authority realizes Tk 85as entry charge and Tk 111 hold charge per truck. The authority will also realize Tk 30 as passenger charge after building the terminal shade, he added. A businessman alleged that some unscrupulous persons forcefully take security charge Tk 10, serial maintaining charge Tk 10 and Truck Sramik Welfare Fund charge Tk 20 as toll from each truck illegally. The authority should take steps to stop these irregular activities immediately, businessman urged. The activities of the land customs office were closed at the month of December in 1958. Again it started its function in 1994. Since than, Government earned huge amount of revenue. This land port was enlisted as private sector project in 2005 after the announcement of Akhaura land port in January, 2002. The land port realizes revenue from export and import goods, value added tax (VAT), development surcharge, supplementary tax, penalty, PSI, court fee, corridor tax, sales tax and travel tax. Through this land port, the country is exporting stone, fresh fish, RFL plastic & PVC pipe, cement, foodstuff, waste cotton, cosmetics, egg, vegetables, Soya oil, glass-sheet, battery, furniture and tiles to the neighboring country. On the other hand, the local traders import bamboo, turmeric, watch, ginger, marble slab, leather, textile parts, coal, baby food, cloth, bicycle parts, sugar and fruits from India.
BRAHMANBARIA, Apr 20: Local chamber leaders and businessmen have demanded proper infrastructure development in the adjacent areas of the newly-upgraded Akhaura landport to harness the real benefit of the economic establishment. "The government must ensure the logistic support like banking and storage facilities with adequate power supply in and around the land port, otherwise, all the attempts to reap economic and social benefits will hardly reap any result," President of Brahmanbaria Chamber of Commerce and Industry Md Jahangir Alam Bhuiyan told the Financial Express. Bhuiyan also put thrust on developing the road infrastructure between Brahmanbaria town and Akhaura via Sultanpur. Monir Hossain Babul, Secretary of Akhaura C&F agents said that the business activities of the land port is badly hampered in absence of banking, storage, weighing machine, fax, computer and internet service facilities. "If the government solves these problems soon, this land port will be able to play a key role to widen the trade relations between Bangladesh and India." The land port, having ware-house, office complex, open-yard, truck parking yard was constructed on 15 acres of land at a cost of Tk 87.50 million. Land port authority developed the land and built preliminary infrastructure at a cost of Tk 45.00 million in its first phase. About 10 trucks can now carry goods within 250 yards from the zero point of the border connecting Akhaura land port with Agartala town of the Indian state of Tripura. Hamidur Rahman, a warehouse superintendent of Akhaura land port said, the authority will establish a generator for power house at a cost of Tk 2.50 million, set up weight scales at a cost of Tk 3 million and terminal shade at a cost of Tk 10 within a short time. Port authority realizes Tk 85as entry charge and Tk 111 hold charge per truck. The authority will also realize Tk 30 as passenger charge after building the terminal shade, he added. A businessman alleged that some unscrupulous persons forcefully take security charge Tk 10, serial maintaining charge Tk 10 and Truck Sramik Welfare Fund charge Tk 20 as toll from each truck illegally. The authority should take steps to stop these irregular activities immediately, businessman urged. The activities of the land customs office were closed at the month of December in 1958. Again it started its function in 1994. Since than, Government earned huge amount of revenue. This land port was enlisted as private sector project in 2005 after the announcement of Akhaura land port in January, 2002. The land port realizes revenue from export and import goods, value added tax (VAT), development surcharge, supplementary tax, penalty, PSI, court fee, corridor tax, sales tax and travel tax. Through this land port, the country is exporting stone, fresh fish, RFL plastic & PVC pipe, cement, foodstuff, waste cotton, cosmetics, egg, vegetables, Soya oil, glass-sheet, battery, furniture and tiles to the neighboring country. On the other hand, the local traders import bamboo, turmeric, watch, ginger, marble slab, leather, textile parts, coal, baby food, cloth, bicycle parts, sugar and fruits from India.