Home ›› 18 Aug 2021 ›› Front
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has assured apparel exporters of getting their products delivered directly from the port within four days of landing.
CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan gave the assurance while meeting apparel leaders led by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan in Chattogram on Tuesday.
“If imported goods are delivered within four days, they would not be sent to the Inland Container Depot (ICD),” Shahjahan said.
BGMEA claimed in the meeting that the private ICD operators are charging higher fees and taking more time than the Chittagong port to release goods. This was affecting the apparel industry when the sector is struggling to turn around from the pandemic shocks.
The pandemic has affected ports and the shipping sector around the world.
Private container depots were opened to unload all types of imported goods to tackle the situation. After slight improvement, BGMEA leaders are now demanding the unloading of goods directly from the port.
“Currently, it takes around six to seven days to take delivery of imported consignments from private ICDs compared to only two days from the port, which increases the cost,” said Faruque.
He hoped that RMG exports would increase in the coming months and urged the port authority to plan and take steps accordingly to enhance the capacity and efficiency of Chittagong port so that they can handle the increased pressure of export-import smoothly.
BGMEA and business organisations had also sent several letters to the concerned government departments, including the port authorities. In this context, this meeting of the port authorities was held with the BGMEA leaders.
“The faster the goods are unloaded, the faster the work of the port will be. The global shipping crisis caused by the pandemic has largely been overcome due to various measures taken by the authorities,” Shahjahan said in the meeting.
He requested BGMEA leaders to talk to the Main-Line Operator about direct shipping to buyer countries by sea, not to fix specific shipping lines for shipments and ensure that the goods reach the port within 24 hours cut-off time.
Shahjahan said, “The job of Chittagong port is to provide 24-hour services. That is what we are coming up with during the pandemic. Our focus is on serving stakeholders.” In the meeting, the Director (Transport) of CPA Enamul Karim said that due to the pandemic crisis, it takes seven days to berth in Colombo and Singapore ports, 10 to 12 days in China, and 20 to 22 days in America. But since the container jetty at Chittagong port was empty, ships could berth as soon they arrived.
