CHATTOGRAM, July 29: The tender to appoint new berth operators for the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) will be invited soon after about three years, officials said.
They said the last time an international tender, inviting applications from qualified berth operators to participate in the process to get appointment for operating berth/mooring at the country's prime sea port, was foalted in October, 2016, by the CPA.
The port authority has already prepared necessary documents for the new tender, they said, hoping that the tender will be invited next month.
Meanwhile, the three berth operating companies who were excluded from tenders over 10 years ago during the last caretaker government, have already sent letter to the CPA requesting to allow them participate in the next tender process, sources said. They also called for taking necessary measures to ensure an open and fair tender.
According to the sources, there are six berth operators which are handling cargos and containers at the Chattogram Port for the last one decade. They are: A W Khan & Company, United Trading, Ruhul Amin & Brothers, Four Jwel Stevedoring Syndicate, Poncharag Udayan Sangsta and Cosmos Enterprise.
Earlier, the authority had prepared tender documents containing some conditions and schedules that allegedly made participation process easy for only the six companies, according to the sources.
Some conditions attached to the tender were deemed rigid by other companies who had wanted to participate in the process, said a source. The companies have said they are hoping that the next tender will not contain conditions that will make participation in the process difficult for others except some 'selected' ones.
The three companies confirmed that they are trying to participate in the tender this time, too. The companies - ST Enterprise, M/S Sufi & Brothers and Nobi Dovash & Sons - have already sent letters to the CPA informing it about their intention to participate in the forthcoiming tender.
ST Enterprise sent letter to the CPA on July 7, M/S Sufi & Brothers on July 11 and Nobi Dovash & Sons on July 14.
The companies wrote in the letters that they could not participate along with some other companies in the tender in 2010 as the 'then management imposed some illegal terms and conditions' at that time.
Terms and conditioned should be fair and all should be allowed to drop tender and participate in the process, they said urging the authority to relax the conditions for participation this time.
Officials of CPA preferring anonymity said in the next tender to appoint new berth operators at the port will be open for all as the terms and conditions will likely be normal for the first time (in over one decade).
Enamul Karim, Director (Transport) of CPA said, "We have already prepared the documents of the tender to appoint new berth operators. After approval in the next board meeting of the CPA, the next procedure for (floating) the tender will be started. I hope the tender will be called very soon."
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