Three NMCT berths still left idle

CHITTAGONG, Apr 25: The Chittagong Port Authority could not fully make the NMCT functional as the decision on procurement of equipment for the remaining three berths is still lying with the parliamentary committee concerned.
Even when all the five berths of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NMCT) have become operational, the CPA will not be able to fulfil the growing demand for container handling at the prime maritime port in next four years.
CPA chairman Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed said at a briefing on Saturday container handling at the port was expected to reach over 2.8 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent unit) by 2019, if the New Mooring Container Terminal is fully operational after setting up the equipment at the three berths.
Currently two berths of the NMCT remain functional as they have gantry cranes but the berths 3, 4 and 5 have been remaining unproductive for more than seven years and the importers and exporters have been severely criticising the CPA management for its failure to fully introduce the specialised container terminal.
Efficiency enhancement and capacity building of the Chittagong Port suffered a severe blow as a strong political lobby forced the authorities to suspend appointment of a global operator at the NMCT.
The terminal with a capacity to handle 1.0 million TEUs of containers was launched in 2007, but it is yet to be fully functional. The revenue loss of the government has been estimated at US $40 million a year as a fully functional terminal would fetch an equal amount as handling charges at a rate of at least $ 40 per container.
The CPA chairman said the process of procuring equipment for the NMCT was going on and the authority was expected to find a solution to the problem by June 2015.
The port authority expressed its interest to procure equipment required for the NMCT but the parliamentary committee intercepted stating that it involved a huge expenditure and the beneficiaries who would run the NMCT had to procure the equipment.
CPA chairman Nizamuddin Ahmed briefed the media on the occasion of the 128th anniversary of Chittagong Port Authority.
CPA board member (Harbour and Marine) Shahin Rahman, member (engineering) Zulfiquer Ali, member (admin) Nazrul Islam, director (traffic) Golam Sarwar, director (admin) Zafar Alam, director (security) Lt Col Alamgir Kabir and CPA secretary Md Omar Faruq were present.
"Despite political agitations the port functions were very normal and we have maintained the growth of container handling at 12 percent. But the demand is growing faster and we need to enhance the annual growth container handling up to 15 per cent, which will take the annual capacity to over 2.8 million TEUs against our existing capacity to handle 2.7 million TEUs by the year 2018 after full exploitation of the NMCT facilities," he said.
Despite continuous blockade and hartal programmes the Chittagong Port handled a record number of containers in a single month. The port has handled 155,908 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent unit) in March 2015 breaking the earlier record of 154,759 TEUs in August 2014.
Director (admin) of Chittagong Port Authority Zafar Alam said the record container handling proved that the port's capacity and efficiency increased through undertaking different development schemes.
"It is a milestone in the port's history which has been possible with utmost sincerity and efforts of the port workers and all-out cooperation of the port users, despite political instability enforced by the BNP-led alliance from last January to March," he said.
Berth Operator, Ship Handling and Terminal Operator & Owners Association president Fazle Ikram Chowdhury said the berth operators and their workers were directly involved with the milestone created at the port.
The turnaround time at the prime seaport decreased satisfactorily and image of the port increased in the maritime world. Above all, the port has achieved this feat through proper management fighting out the constraints of transportation of cargoes.
As per data provided by Chittagong Port Authority the port handled the highest number of containers in May 2014 and the lowest in November 2013 in the last fiscal year.
In the fiscal year 2012-13, the country's largest seaport handled 14.556 million tonnes of cargo in 1.4687 million TEUs of containers, the port officials said.
The port handles more than 92 per cent of the country's seaborne external trade in terms of volume. The country's main export product - readymade garments (RMG) - is vitally linked to the performance of this port.
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