Ensure efficient use of lighter vessels
The lighter vessel management at Chittagong Port needs to be modernised to facilitate quick loading and unloading of goods at the outer anchorage, stakeholders emphasised yesterday.
At a meeting at the Training Institute of Chittagong Port, they also recommended increasing the number of new lighter vessels, enhancing the navigability of the water ways, and renovation of the jetties.
Chairman of Chittagong Port Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal said they had received complaints that the importers sometimes use the lighter vessels to store their goods, which triggers the crisis of lighter vessels.
He proposed that fines should be imposed for those who would delay unloading their goods, and they should be placed below in the list of businesses applying for allocation of the vessels.
At the meeting, the stakeholders unanimously agreed to prioritise the offloading of fertiliser-laden vessels between Janaury and February as the "demand remains high in the period".
Representatives of Bangladesh Industrial Development Corporation (BIDC), Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), Water Transport Cell, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Chittagong Customs House, Clearing and Forwarding Agents (C&F), Freight Forward Association, and shipping agents were present at the meeting.
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