Ctg port faces lengthy container congestion

Chittagong Port has been facing problems in clearing imported containers, particularly those imported by single importers, for the last three months because of strained handling facility at the country's port.

The congestion has led to disruption in the overall container handling operation of the port, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the country's international trade.

To ease the pressure, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) in December raised the rent on storage, which is charged after expiry of the four-day free storage service. But the temporary measure has apparently failed to yield any positive outcome.

Stakeholders blamed the lengthy assessment and examination procedures at the customs-end and the lack of adequate number of container handling equipment for the congestion.

The situation worsened further earlier this month when the number of containers brought in by single importers, known as FCL, lying in the port yards hit as high as 32,000 TEUs (twenty equivalent units) against the port's capacity of 24,105 TEUs.

As of yesterday, a total of 27,504 TEUs of FCL containers were stockpiled at the port yards, according to the traffic department of the CPA.

This prompted the port authority to keep FCL containers outside the designated areas or in the delivery areas in order to ensure the timely sailing off vessels, which also hampered the overall container handling operation of all import containers.

A total of 29,925 TEUs import containers were laying at the port till yesterday whereas the designated space for such containers could accommodate only 26,857 TEUs.

On February 5, the CPA sent letters to port users such as shipping agents and freight forwarders asking them to compel importers to take the delivery of their cargoes at the earliest possible time. But the scenario has not come to the satisfactory stage yet.

Khairul Alam, director of Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, blamed the lengthy value assessment process and examination of cargoes by the Custom House as one of the factors for the delay in clearing the import containers. Four departments of the Customs usually examine the import containers.

If a container is deemed suspicious its delivery may delay by an additional week, said Alam, urging the authorities to carry out the examination on the basis of precise information.  Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, a former first vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the port lacks container handling equipment which is affecting its operation.

However, CPA Chairman M Khaled Iqbal, during a recent meeting, said the port has capacity to deliver 4,000 TEUs containers daily but it receives only clearing requests for up to 2,800 TEUs containers from users. 

The National Board of Revenue organised the meeting participated by top officials of the port and the Customs House as well as port users. Fourteen recommendations were placed at the meeting to make the operation of the port smooth and ease the customs procedures.

A senior CPA official said they lessened the congestion to a great extent in the last few weeks. He hoped the situation would be normal within a week.