Stevedores' monopoly in Ctg port cargo handling to end soon
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The government is expected to amend the 'Regulations for Working of Chittagong Port (cargo and container), 2001' soon to appoint berth operators for its jetties.
Earlier in July, an integrated berth operation by private firms was introduced by the government for an interim period to expedite the cargo handing at the port.
Sources at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said it will approve shortly the amendments sent by the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
Sources said the CPA will float tenders for hiring berth operators for a period of five years.
Some 12 berth operators will be hired, six for general cargo and six for container at the port.
Currently, dock labourers, merchant labourers, and stevedore workers are working as a single unit under a berth operator.
The present concept of CPA operation is to privatise all its services and the CPA's role will just be a regulator.
Sources said port-related firms like shipping agents, stevedores and feeder operators will be eligible for participation in the bidding.
The successful berth operators will also have to invest in their respective jetties for procuring equipment as the port has limited machinery for handing cargos and containers.
While talking to the FE, Terminal Manager and head of a 10-member tender preparation committee Zahid Hossain said the bidders should be financially sound and have reputation in handing modern equipment.
He said it wants competition and all concerned, who will meet terms and conditions for the tender, will participate in the bid.
"We do not want to confine it to a few stevedores," he added.
"We might submit our report to the management by the next two weeks and the authority is expected to float tender any tine," he added.
Entire cargo operation to, and from, a ship will be handled by a berth operator instead of stevedores.
But the stevedores are opposing the move for an open tender for appointment of berth operators.
They want to compete the bidding among themselves.
There are 52 stevedores now working as berth and ship operators in the port temporarily.
Abdul Gaffar Dovash, acting chairman of Bangladesh Master Stevedoring Association (BMSA), told the FE that the stevedores had invested in the business over the years and the tender document should be prepared for participation only by them.
"We have skilled manpower and each stevedore has light equipment like fork lift worth Tk 10 million. The open tender for participation of shipping agents, clearing and forwarding agents will not be justified," he added.
The government is expected to amend the 'Regulations for Working of Chittagong Port (cargo and container), 2001' soon to appoint berth operators for its jetties.
Earlier in July, an integrated berth operation by private firms was introduced by the government for an interim period to expedite the cargo handing at the port.
Sources at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said it will approve shortly the amendments sent by the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
Sources said the CPA will float tenders for hiring berth operators for a period of five years.
Some 12 berth operators will be hired, six for general cargo and six for container at the port.
Currently, dock labourers, merchant labourers, and stevedore workers are working as a single unit under a berth operator.
The present concept of CPA operation is to privatise all its services and the CPA's role will just be a regulator.
Sources said port-related firms like shipping agents, stevedores and feeder operators will be eligible for participation in the bidding.
The successful berth operators will also have to invest in their respective jetties for procuring equipment as the port has limited machinery for handing cargos and containers.
While talking to the FE, Terminal Manager and head of a 10-member tender preparation committee Zahid Hossain said the bidders should be financially sound and have reputation in handing modern equipment.
He said it wants competition and all concerned, who will meet terms and conditions for the tender, will participate in the bid.
"We do not want to confine it to a few stevedores," he added.
"We might submit our report to the management by the next two weeks and the authority is expected to float tender any tine," he added.
Entire cargo operation to, and from, a ship will be handled by a berth operator instead of stevedores.
But the stevedores are opposing the move for an open tender for appointment of berth operators.
They want to compete the bidding among themselves.
There are 52 stevedores now working as berth and ship operators in the port temporarily.
Abdul Gaffar Dovash, acting chairman of Bangladesh Master Stevedoring Association (BMSA), told the FE that the stevedores had invested in the business over the years and the tender document should be prepared for participation only by them.
"We have skilled manpower and each stevedore has light equipment like fork lift worth Tk 10 million. The open tender for participation of shipping agents, clearing and forwarding agents will not be justified," he added.