Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), the port users, Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain at the Maritime Council meeting and at a separate meeting with the feeder operators here yesterday called for postponement of the decision until the middle of August.

The feeder vessel (small container ships that carry containers from Singapore) operators did not move from their stance yesterday.

However, feeder vessel operators' local committee convener at the Maritime Council meeting said the final decision in this regard would be made at a meeting with the operators' principals at Singapore today.

Meanwhile, as a counter measure, CPA has already prepared a notice to give preferential berthing and other facilities to the operators not imposing the congestion surcharge.

The notice would be served and have immediate effect if the surcharge was imposed, sources in the CPA said.

Shipping minister at the yesterday's meeting of Maritime Council yesterday said the authority would take tough measures against the concerned feeder operators unless the decision of congestion surcharge is deferred.

"We won't allow any of your [feeder operators'] vessels to stay at the port for a single hour after delivery or loading of containers while we'll offer berthing and other facilities to those not imposing the surcharge," said the minister.

The fully loaded vessels reporting to the port would be given high priority, said the minister blaming the feeder vessels of arriving at the port with very few containers.

Showing statistics in this regard the minister said recently a vessel reported at the port with only 44 containers against its capacity of 1050 containers, another ship arrived with only 54 containers against 574 container capacity.

It may be mentioned, five feeder operators Advanced Container Line, QC Shipping, HRC Shipping, Orient Shipping and Sea Consortium through a notice on May 5 threatened to impose the surcharge unless the congestion of container vessels at Chittagong Port were brought down to a tolerable limit within one-month.

Meanwhile, leaders of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association at meeting also protested the move for congestion surcharge saying the garments sector would be the worst hit.

They also said they would go for legal actions against the feeder operators if the congestion surcharge is imposed.