Importers shunning deliveries, creating Ctg port slowdown
That something is amiss becomes evident right at the gates of the Chattogram port: there are no long queues of goods-transporting vehicles. Instead, only one or two occasionally rumbles past.
The port is running at 25 % of its operational capacity, bogged down by space constraints created by ever-increasing stacks of import-laden containers.
The global pandemic-induced financial slowdown is keeping most importers from accepting their deliveries. Around 1,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) were recinded yesterday, one-fifth of the daily average.
This has led to the accumulation of 46,690 TEUs of imports, well at night port's limit of 37,620 TEUs.
The problem surfaced shortly following the countrywide lockdown arrived to influence on March 26. The problem has turned so dire that the shipping ministry called an urgent meeting at the Chattogram Circuit House on Tuesday.
Numerous stakeholders present at the meeting said almost all of the imports are recycleables of garment factories and agriculture commodities. They urged the respective importers to create their claims fast.
Otherwise, it will be impossible to continue the operations within the port, said Fazle Ekram Chowdhury, president of the Berth Operators and Ship Handling Operators Owners Association.
Transport and workforce shortages and limited working hours at offices are delaying the timely release of cargoes, said Anjan Shekhar Das, a director of BGMEA.
Importers blamed the restriction imposed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on the release of most types of goods.
The NBR on March 24 directed customs houses to work on a limited scale allowing release of only essential food commodities, emergency medicine and associated service materials through the shutdown.
But on April 7, the income board widened the scope to examine the work of more imported items so that you can ease the burden on the Chattogram port. Due to the relaxation, virtually all goods is now able to be cleared save for all those that were brought in for trading purpose.
Although port is open 24 hours, other offices such as for example customs houses, banks, shipping agents, off docks and plant quarantine office stay open for a restricted period, said Md Zafar Alam, an associate of the Chattogram Port Authority.
He also called for allowing the release of all types of goods.
This is opposed by Chattogram Customs House Commissioner M Fakhrul Alam. Anything other than essential items ought to be held back, he said.
Importers are not taking the delivery promptly although an satisfactory workforce is offered by the customs house, he added.
Chattogram City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasiruddin also opposed complete checking all the offices.
Around 20,000 TEUs could quite possibly be shifted to 19 private off docks in Chattogram and another 2,500 TEUs to Summit Alliance Port Ltd's inland container terminal at Muktarpur in Munshiganj to bring some relief, said newly appointed CPA Chairman SM Abul Kalam Azad.
"We need to fight the coronavirus and in addition need to keep carefully the port operational. If the port becomes inoperative, the country's economy will collapse."
The decisions on keeping banks open for longer periods or shifting the import cargoes to the private off docks need to come from the bigger levels of the federal government, said Divisional Commissioner ABM Azad.
