Private ICDs increase tariffs by 23%

The owners of private inland container depots (ICDs) here today announced to raise different types service charges in handling import and export goods and containers with an increase of 23 per cent due to increase in diesel price.

Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) issued a circular this evening publishing the new rates of five service charges, which will be effective from November 4, the day diesel price was hiked by the government.

BICDA members in a virtual meeting held on Tuesday afternoon took the decision.

BICDA Secretary Md Ruhul Amin Sikder said the ICDs are increasing the charges as fuel surcharge in order to adjust the additional fuel cost. 

Charges have been increased for five types of services, including haulage (transport of containers between the port and depot), lift-on/lift-off, export stuffing package, import handling package and VGM charge.

According to the circular, haulage (transport of containers between the port and depot) charge for a 20-foot container has been increased from Tk 1,150 to Tk 1,415, for a 40-foot container the haulage charge raised from Tk 2,300 to Tk 2,830. 

Export container package (stuffing) charges for a 20-foot container have been increased from Tk 4,140 to Tk 5,092, for a 40-foot container it has been fixed at Tk 6,790 against the previous rate of Tk 5,520.

BICDA President Nurul Qayyum Khan told The Daily Star: "ICDs are hard hit by the diesel price hike which aggravated our current financial suffering and that is why they were forced to increase the charges to adjust the additional fuel cost."

Almost 90 per cent of the total export goods are stuffed into containers at the 19 private ICDs known as off docks located in and around the port city before shipment through Chattogram port while 21 per cent of the import containers are sent from the port to these ICDs from where the import goods are delivered.

Besides, the import containers that become empty after the goods are delivered directly from the port are also sent to the ICDs, a portion of which are stored there for a particular time and the rest are used for stuffing export cargoes.

Terming the increase illogical, Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA) Vice President Khairul Alam Sujan said their decision of hiking charges is defiance to the ICD policy according to which tariffs needs to be fixed by a tariff committee of shipping ministry committee comprising members of all the stakeholders including the users.