Home ›› 17 Jun 2022 ›› Front
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has taken some measures to ensure digital berthing of ships arriving at the port ahead of a US coast guard team’s visit.
It has instructed all shipping agents to provide information about their ships online.
Port sources said the CPA had stepped up various activities ahead of the US team’s visit and the instructions given to shipping agents were part of that.
A four-member United States Coast Guard team is due to visit Bangladesh next week to inspect the security situation at various port infrastructures, including the Chattogram port.
It will especially inspect security measures related to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
The CPA is going to inaugurate the terminal operating system (TOS) this year to control the movement and storageof cargo in and around the port digitally.
In a recent letter, it asked shipping agents to provide all the information, especially the vessel visit information (VVI), accurately in the TOS, which is now being piloted.
It said this was needed to fully activate the operating system, including billing at the port.
“We will fully launch the TOS soon. That is why various instructions are being given to stakeholders and port users,” said CPA Secretary Mohd Omar Faruk.
In 2020, the CPA undertook a project to implement the TOS, which could be fully implemented by October this year, officials said.
Bangladesh Shipping Agents’ Association President Syed Mohammad Arif said information about ships is usually given to the port authorities, the customs, and relevant government departments before their arrival at the port.
The port authorities had asked local shipping agents of ocean-going ships to provide the required information online before the US team’s visit, he said.
“The US team’s visit is important to us as their views on port security are considered with utmost importance worldwide,” he added.
The ISPS code came into force in 2004 as an amendment to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). It prescribes responsibilities to detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade.
Chattogram port officials said the TOS would be introduced for fully practicing the ISPS code, an extension of the port’s Container Terminal Management System (CTMS) that is already in place.
The TOS will provide a set of computerised procedures to manage cargo, machines, and people to enable foolproof security and a seamless link to efficiently manage the port.
It also aims to automate full-fledged cargo documentation, but the port communities, including the customs, are not yet ready for that.
