CHATTOGRAM, Jan 14: The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has taken a move to ensure that all freights imported by state from other countries and regions are brought in the country by the ships owned by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC).
Sources said, a move has been taken to ensure that all consignments of fuel oil, including crude oil, imported for Eastern Refinery in Chattogram, is brought in Bangladesh by BSC ships and coal imported by the government for different power plants, including Payra coal-fired power plant, Rampal and Matarbari plants, are carried into the country from abroad by vessels owned by the national flag carrier.
The shipping ministry has called an inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday (Jan 16) to ensure that sector corporations, autonomous and semi autonomous organisations, state-owned entities and enterprises, and all government agencies import cargoes and goods for use by the state is imported from overseas countries through BSC ships and tankers.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahamud Chowdhury will preside over the meeting, officials of the ministry said. They said besides top officials from other ministries and concerned departments, representatives of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) and concerned agencies will be present at the meeting.
A high official at the ministry said that move is under way to ensure using of BSC ships by the BCIC for carrying all cargoes and goods procured by it from home and abroad.
The officials said, earlier, the BSC had sent multiple letters to the BCIC from time to time requesting them to use vessels owned by the national flag carrier for carrying their freights but the BCIC did not respond to their letters. Besides, the shipping ministry has also separately sent letters to the Ministry of Industries, other concerned departments and authorities urging them to use the BSC ships for carrying their cargoes but they too, have not yet respond.
Finding no alternative ways, the shipping ministry has called the inter ministerial meeting tomorrow to make it mandatory for them to charter BSC ships for carrying goods for use by the state or government. The law also stipulates that chartering of BSC ships is mandatory for carrying of government's goods and freights.
According to the Bangladeshi Flag Carrier Ships Law 2019 and Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Law 2017, cargoes and goods of government and the state must be carried by the BSC vessels. But different government agencies and enterprises are chartering merchandise vessels owned by different private companies to carry their cargoes, violating the laws, said BSC officials.
The ministry has taken the move to sign agreements with the concerned ministries, departments, corporations and state-owned enterprises on carrying government's cargoes through BSC ships, they informed.
They also mentioned that as per the Inter-ministerial Committee's Ground Rule, government directives and PPR 2008, tender for carrying government's cargoes and goods by BSC ships is mandatory.
BSC Managing Director (MD) Commodore Sumon Mahmod Sabbir said, at present, the corporation owns only eight ships. Of these, six were procured last year from China. The newly-procured ships are MV Banglar Joyjatra, MV Banglar Shomridhi, MV Banglar Orjon, Banglar Agrojatra, Banglar Agradut and Banglar Agrogoti. The two other vessels - Banglar Shourav and Banglar Joty - were procured in 1987 from Denmark, he mentioned.
He also said that the BSC earned more than Tk 2.3 billion (Tk 230 crore and 7 lakh) in 2018-19 financial year while spent over Tk 1.74 billion (Tk 174 crore, 84 lakh) in that year, making a neat profit of Tk 550 million (Tk 55 crore and 23 lakh).
He said, "The BSC earned Tk 129 crore and 44 lakh in 2017-18 fiscal year (FY '18) and spent Tk 116 crore, 92 lakh. The neat profit of BSC in that fiscal year was Tk 12 crore, 52 lakh."
He further mentioned that Bangladesh is importing coal for Rampal, Payra and Matharbari coal-based power projects and the country needs an uninterruptedly continuous supply chain of coal for use in the large projects. "We have already planned to procure two mother bulk carrier s in this regard. We also planned to procure at least 10 lighterage ships for lightering of the coals (imported in Bangladesh from abroad)," he said.
He also said, "We have planned to carry all the crude oil imported for Eastern Refinery. So we have taken projects to procure mother tankers for this. Besides, we will procure mother oil tanker with 80MT capacity for carrying diesel and jet fuels in the country," said the BSC MD.
"Moreover, we have planned to procure six vessels to carry LNG by 2041. We will procure the LNG-carrying vessels through government to government system with low interest," he added.
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