CPA pleads with importers to ease port congestion
In a last-ditch move, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has started writing to importers directly asking them to take delivery of imported cargoes that contain piled up at the country's premier port and triggering congestion.
Yesterday, it sent letters to 13 importing companies that earned about 2,800 tonnes of garlic, ginger and onion and asked them to take the deliveries.
The things were imported to meet up the heightened demand during Ramadan, nonetheless they have been stranded at the port for the last few weeks.
In line with the port, 208 TEUs containers packed with 850 tonnes garlic, 475 tonnes ginger and 1,473 tonnes onion were lying at the port yards.
"We did this to lessen the congestion and accelerate the way to obtain commodities available in the market," said CPA Member Md Zafar Alam.
About 44,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of fully loaded containers were lying at the port yards against the capability of 34,868 TEUs, it said in the letter.
"As the delivery of the containers has been very slow going back one month, the port has been facing operational disruption," the letter added.
More containers carrying the three items have remained up to speed of several vessels waiting at the outer anchorage to acquire a berth, said CPA officials.
Importers earlier blamed limited services supplied by various government and other offices involved in releasing goods for the slow delivery from the port.
Due to repeated pressure from the CPA and the shipping ministry to solve the congestion, the National Board of Revenue and the Bangladesh Bank the other day even took several initiatives, like the full-scale reopening of the Chattogram Customs House and some branches of banks and also allowing all sorts of imports to be shifted to the private inland container depots.
The situation would not improve much if the importers don't take their cargoes, according to berth operators, shipping agents and off-dock owners.
The CPA also sent letters to the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chattogram C&F Agents Association to take initiative in this regard.
The importers didn't get the delivery promptly as the related offices like customs house, banks, the plant quarantine department and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission have been working on a limited scale since the shutdown started, said Liakat Ali Hawlader, secretary (port) of the Chattogram C&F Agents Association.
Though most offices have steadily reopened, all of the banks are yet to begin their operation fully, triggering problems for the importers to process import-related documents, said Hawlader, adding that the situation would improve gradually.
Meanwhile, the cost of imported ginger has continued to soar going back four weeks because of a supply shortage. It shot up by Tk 100 to Tk 150 per kg to Tk 280 the other day. Retailers are available it at Tk 300 a kg.
Prices of the meals items went up at the wholesale hub of Khatunganj, too.
