CHATTOGRAM, Sept 23: Importers have shown less interest in transporting cargo from Chattogram Port to Pangaon Inland Container Depot (ICD) via waterways, as they find it more expensive than road or rail options.
As a result, importers in Dhaka and other districts prefer to use road and rail for their cargo, sources said.
Since the Pangaon ICD's inception in 2013, there has been a reluctance among importers to utilise this facility even as the Chittagong Port, the country's prime seaport, is set to enhance services for users of the Inland Container Terminal at Pangaon to encourage greater export and import activity through the terminal.
Recently, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has agreed to deliver containers of imported goods destined for Dhaka's ICDs at either Kamalapur or Pangaon ICD.
Meanwhile, to enhance Pangaon terminal handling and expedite operations, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman held meetings with ship owners and import-exporters on September 1 and September 15.
CPA Secretary Omar Faruk told The FE that the newly appointed chairman met with users several times in September.
"CPA is going to increase facilities at Pangaon terminal to boost its usage. We will allocate separate berths for ships at Pangaon and fix a prioritised schedule for vessel arrivals. Additionally, we will coordinate with the customs authority, banks, and other institutions to facilitate the use of the Pangaon terminal," he said.
He also said, "An initiative has been taken to cancel the earlier notification issued by the Ministry of Shipping to reduce the existing fares for vessels on the Chittagong-Pangaon-Chittagong route. This will make container transport by river more competitive and significantly lower the current rates."
"The Chattogram-Pangaon-Chattogram maritime route has commenced regular shipping. Importers and exporters are taking necessary steps to open letters of credit (LCs) mentioning Pangaon terminal as the destination for containers in the Import General Manifest (IGM) and Bill of Lading (B/L). To reduce customs complications, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has initiated efforts to simplify the customs clearance process at Pangaon Container Terminal," he added.
The CPA Secretary also said, "Other shipping lines, including the international container operator CMA-CGM, have expressed interest in using the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal for inland container transport. The CPA is allocating one more jetty, in addition to the one already planned for Pangaon ICT, allowing for double the container handling capacity compared to before."
"Importers and exporters can utilise the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal for their export and import activities via Chittagong Port. Inland vessels of various shipping companies and logistics facilities at Chittagong Port are being prepared for this project. The NBR is also ready to provide financial support. Therefore, there should be no issues in transporting containers via waterways now."
"However, all importers and exporters, including BGMEA and BKMEA, are requested to take necessary measures to maintain the import-export flow through Chattogram-Dhaka-Chattogram sea route using the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal and Chittagong Port. The Chittagong Port Authority will provide additional cooperation," he added.
CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Monriuzzaman called upon stakeholders to enhance the handling capacity of the Pangaon container terminal and make it more business-friendly.
He said, "Pangaon Inland Container Terminal was established in 2013 in Keraniganj, near Dhaka, as a joint initiative of the CPA and BIWTA. The aim was to make the trade and industry of Dhaka and the surrounding region more time- and cost-efficient, while facilitating and expanding import-export activities."
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the CPA jointly constructed the Pangaon terminal at a cost of Tk 1.54 billion. The terminal is expected to significantly contribute to the country's economic development by facilitating the transportation of exported and imported goods via waterways.
This project aims to ease congestion on the Dhaka-Chittagong railway and highway corridors. The terminal has a storage capacity of 3,500 TEUs and handles 116,000 TEUs of containers annually.
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