Importers shunning deliveries, causing 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 a quarter of its operational capacity, bogged down by space constraints created by ever-increasing stacks of import-laden containers.

The global pandemic-induced economic slowdown is keeping most importers from accepting their deliveries. Around 1,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) were taken away yesterday, one-fifth of the daily average.

This has led to the accumulation of 46,690 TEUs of imports, well past the port's limit of 37,620 TEUs.

The problem surfaced not long after the countrywide lockdown came into effect on March 26. The situation has turned so dire that the shipping ministry called an urgent meeting at the Chattogram Circuit House on Tuesday.

A number of stakeholders present at the meeting said most of the imports are raw materials of garment factories and agriculture commodities. They urged the respective importers to make their claims fast.

Otherwise, it will be impossible to continue the operations inside 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 all 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 during the shutdown.

But on April 7, the revenue board widened the scope to assess the duty of more imported items in order to ease the burden on the Chattogram port. Because of the relaxation, almost all goods can now be cleared save for those that were brought in for trading purpose.

Though the port is open 24 hours, other offices such as customs houses, banks, shipping agents, off docks and plant quarantine office stay open for a limited period, said Md Zafar Alam, a member of the Chattogram Port Authority.

He also called for allowing the release of all types of goods.

This was opposed by Chattogram Customs House Commissioner M Fakhrul Alam. Anything other than essential items should be held back, he said.

Importers are not taking the delivery on time although an adequate workforce is available at the customs house, he added.

Chattogram City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasiruddin also opposed complete opening up all the offices.

Around 20,000 TEUs could perhaps 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 also need to keep 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 higher levels of the government, said Divisional Commissioner ABM Azad.