Govt tells off-docks to handle more import items
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The government Thursday instructed the country's off-docks, privately-run container terminals, to handle all sack-contained import items to reduce congestion at the premier seaport of Chittagong. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Thursday issued the instruction which was signed by member (customs) Md Shah Alam. It had earlier held a meeting with the stakeholders concerned on April 20. The NBR also sought fresh lists of import items to be handled by the off-docks shortly. President of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) Qayum Khan told the FE: "This will help utilise our capacity to a large extent." "It will raise our revenues as well," he added. If the new imports are included, the utilisation of our capacity will increase significantly. The off-docks are now handling nearly 15 per cent of imports. "We expect to handle 5.0 per cent more imports of the country's around $ 32 billion imports following the government's instruction," said Mr Qayum, also managing director of the leading depot - QNS. Mr Khan also said the off-docks have adequate spaces to handle more imports adding: "We've 50 per cent more spaces to handle cargoes." The off-docks have shortage of modern equipment to handle imports, according to the minutes of the meeting held at the NBR on April 20. The minutes said: "The off-docks have lack of scanning machines and other infrastructures to effectively handle the sensitive import items." The minutes also said the off-docks are yet to be mature enough to handle chemical items. Importers often mis-declare chemical goods to evade duties. However, NBR has asked the off-docks to give a list of import items whose duties do not exceed 5.0 per cent. Officials at the BICDA told the FE that they are preparing a fresh list of goods for handling by the off-docks. "We want to handle at least 50 per cent of total imports," BICDA official said. The off-docks, also popularly called dry ports, handle 100 per cent of the country's over US$ 16 billion exports. Currently, on an average 50,000 TEUs (Twenty feet equivalent units) of imports arrive at the Chittagong port each month. The government first allowed nine import items to be handled by the off-docks during the fag end of 2006 to reduce congestion at the premier port. Later in 2010, the government also allowed eight more items to be handled by the private depots. The off-docks dealt with d around 73 per cent of the country's external trade during the last fiscal year handling more than 900,000 TEUs. Bangladesh handled more than 1.3 million TEUs of containers in 2010. The country's 18 off-docks have been handling 17 import items including raw cotton, waste paper and pulses since 2006.
The government Thursday instructed the country's off-docks, privately-run container terminals, to handle all sack-contained import items to reduce congestion at the premier seaport of Chittagong. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Thursday issued the instruction which was signed by member (customs) Md Shah Alam. It had earlier held a meeting with the stakeholders concerned on April 20. The NBR also sought fresh lists of import items to be handled by the off-docks shortly. President of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) Qayum Khan told the FE: "This will help utilise our capacity to a large extent." "It will raise our revenues as well," he added. If the new imports are included, the utilisation of our capacity will increase significantly. The off-docks are now handling nearly 15 per cent of imports. "We expect to handle 5.0 per cent more imports of the country's around $ 32 billion imports following the government's instruction," said Mr Qayum, also managing director of the leading depot - QNS. Mr Khan also said the off-docks have adequate spaces to handle more imports adding: "We've 50 per cent more spaces to handle cargoes." The off-docks have shortage of modern equipment to handle imports, according to the minutes of the meeting held at the NBR on April 20. The minutes said: "The off-docks have lack of scanning machines and other infrastructures to effectively handle the sensitive import items." The minutes also said the off-docks are yet to be mature enough to handle chemical items. Importers often mis-declare chemical goods to evade duties. However, NBR has asked the off-docks to give a list of import items whose duties do not exceed 5.0 per cent. Officials at the BICDA told the FE that they are preparing a fresh list of goods for handling by the off-docks. "We want to handle at least 50 per cent of total imports," BICDA official said. The off-docks, also popularly called dry ports, handle 100 per cent of the country's over US$ 16 billion exports. Currently, on an average 50,000 TEUs (Twenty feet equivalent units) of imports arrive at the Chittagong port each month. The government first allowed nine import items to be handled by the off-docks during the fag end of 2006 to reduce congestion at the premier port. Later in 2010, the government also allowed eight more items to be handled by the private depots. The off-docks dealt with d around 73 per cent of the country's external trade during the last fiscal year handling more than 900,000 TEUs. Bangladesh handled more than 1.3 million TEUs of containers in 2010. The country's 18 off-docks have been handling 17 import items including raw cotton, waste paper and pulses since 2006.