CPA pleads with importers to ease port congestion
In a last-ditch move, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has started writing to importers directly asking them to take delivery of imported cargoes that have piled up at the country's premier port and causing congestion.
Yesterday, it sent letters to 13 importing firms that brought in about 2,800 tonnes of garlic, ginger and onion and asked them to take the deliveries.
The items were imported to meet the heightened demand during Ramadan, but they have been stranded at the port for the last few weeks.
According to the port, 208 TEUs containers loaded with 850 tonnes garlic, 475 tonnes ginger and 1,473 tonnes onion were lying at the port yards.
"We did this to reduce the congestion and accelerate the supply of commodities in the market," said CPA Member Md Zafar Alam.
About 44,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of fully loaded containers were lying at the port yards against the capacity of 34,868 TEUs, it said in the letter.
"As the delivery of the containers has been very slow for the last one month, the port has been facing operational disruption," the letter added.
More containers carrying the three items have remained on board of several vessels waiting at the outer anchorage to get a berth, said CPA officials.
Importers earlier blamed limited services provided by various government and other offices involved in releasing goods for the slow delivery from the port.
Because of repeated pressure from the CPA and the shipping ministry to resolve the congestion, the National Board of Revenue and the Bangladesh Bank last week even took several initiatives, like the full-scale reopening of the Chattogram Customs House and some branches of banks as well as allowing all types of imports to be shifted to the private inland container depots.
The situation would not improve much if the importers don't take their cargoes, according to berth operators, shipping agents and off-dock owners.
The CPA also sent letters to the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chattogram C&F Agents Association to take initiative in this regard.
The importers failed to get the delivery on time as the related offices like customs house, banks, the plant quarantine department and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission have been working on a limited scale since the shutdown started, said Liakat Ali Hawlader, secretary (port) of the Chattogram C&F Agents Association.
Though most offices have gradually reopened, all the banks are yet to begin their operation fully, causing problems for the importers to process import-related documents, said Hawlader, adding that the situation would improve gradually.
Meanwhile, the price of imported ginger has continued to soar for the last four weeks because of a supply shortage. It shot up by Tk 100 to Tk 150 per kg to Tk 280 last week. Retailers are selling it at Tk 300 a kg.
Prices of the food items went up at the wholesale hub of Khatunganj, too.
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