PMO, MPA to discuss clearing imported vehicles tomorrow

Officials of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Mongla Port Authority (MPA) are going to sit tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss about clearing around 1,900 imported reconditioned vehicles, long-stranded in the port yards.
Officials said Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashuir Rahmman is scheduled to preside over the meeting. High officials from MPA, the Ministry of Shipping and other agencies concerned will be present in it.
The meeting is likely to review progress of releasing the vehicles, and finding out alternative places to keep them.
PMO in October last also asked MPA to settle the issue quickly, but the latter failed to comply with the directive. It prompted the government's top administration to look into the matter again.
The undelivered imported vehicles, mostly sedan cars, have been stuck on the port premises since 2010, depriving the government of getting due tariff from the port.
Officials at Mongla Port told the FE that there are nearly 4,200 vehicles in the port now, of which 1,900 are old. A number of these old vehicles have apparently been damaged due to being kept for long under the sky.
The importers have abandoned the vehicles due to multiple difficulties, ranging from duty-related complexities to import permission.
They also said many importers have been using the port premises, as its wharf rent is one-fifth than that of Chittagong Port.
The importers even take delivery after selling the vehicles, and their customers visit those in disguise of employees of different customs clearing agents.
Leaders of Barvida, association of used vehicles' importers, said around 1,000 sedan cars, mostly of Toyota Probox brand, have been stranded in the port since 2010.
The importers had procured the vehicles, as the then communications minister planned to use those as taxicabs on the major city roads.
But after change in the cabinet portfolio, the move was also stopped, placing the importers in trouble, they added.  
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