WB team visits Ctg port, CEPZ

CHITTAGONG, Feb 13: The World Bank has expressed its interest to invest in a number of projects including Karnaphuli Container Terminal (KCT) undertaken by the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
World Bank's interest was known today during the visit of the World Bank country boss to the prime seaport to see the ongoing pace of activities. There was a meeting with the senior officials of the CPA. Port chairman Real Admiral Nizam Uddin Ahmed was present in the meeting.
A senior official of the port authority said that they explained the necessity, existing capacity of cargo handling, future plans regarding enhancement of infrastructure and logistics, growth rate of cargo handling, etc.
"They are looking for developing regional connectivity through waterways, roads and highways and railways connecting the Chittagong Port. We gave a brief description of the port activities and capacities," the Chief of Planning of the CPA M Moniruzzaman said.
They are also interested to develop infrastructure of the Mongla Port, he added.  
The World Bank team headed by Country Director Johannes Zutt inspected the existing port facilities along with three other experts AKM Abdullah and Member (finance) of BEPZA AKM Mahbubur Rahman.
The Chittagong Port Authority had undertaken the Karnaphuli Container Terminal to build up the third specialised container handling facility in view of the rapid growth of containerised cargo in the prime seaport of the country.
The project was undertaken seven years back to construct the 600-metre long KCT on jetty nos. 11, 12 and 13 of the port with the back-up facilities of 45 acres of land at an estimated cost of Tk 8 billion.
The cost of the proposed project has crossed Tk 10 billion now, a senior port official said. The World Bank proposed funding the Chittagong Container Terminal as well but the port authority has constructed the terminal from its own fund.
In the afternoon, the World Bank's country director Mr Johannes and other members inspected Chittagong Export Processing Zone, country's largest EPZ, and had another meeting with the senior BEPZA (Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority) officials and a number of major industrialists working in the CEPZ.
General Manager of the CEPZ SM Abdur Rashid told the FE this evening that the WB chief had inspected the Universal Jeans Ltd, a concern of the Pacific Jeans Ltd, one of the leading garment exporters of the country.
Mr Johannes also inspected the Water Treatment Plant owned by Water Tech Ltd and United Power Generation Co Ltd, both run by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the CEPZ.