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The country's premier seaport is about to welcome a new chapter in operation as Chittagong Port Authority will start the computerised container terminal management system on a trial basis from tomorrow.
Both officials and users say the move will ultimately cut turn around time from three days to two days and the port activities will be organised in a coordinated way, which will increase the efficiency and capacity of the port.
Once the new system is implemented, port users, especially importers and exporters, will be able to get information on the arrival and departure of containers and vessels, sitting in front of their computers.
CPA will, however, retain the old container handling system for exportable containers.
The CTMS would initially be introduced in four jetties, including two of the Chittagong Container Terminals and two others under the New Mooring Container Terminals to streamline operations, said CPA officials.
The system would be introduced in six jetties under the General Cargo Berths from October 17, they added.
Khairul Mostafa, project director of CTMS, said: “All the import containers will be handled through CTMS at the jetties.”
He said around 40 percent of export containers would be handled with the new system, while the rest will with the old system. However, handling of exportable garment containers would be left out of the new system.
The relaxed cut-off time for exportable garment products would continue for some time, said Mostafa.
Once the new system is implemented, port users will also be able to submit and receive documents and pay bills online.
The project will boost the capacity and efficiency of the Chittagong Port, said CPA Chairman Commodore M Anwarul Islam. The system will automatically monitor the entire container delivery process, including arrival, unloading, shifting to the yard, stacking, tracking and delivery.
He said the 'turn around' time for the vessels in the port would be reduced through implementation of the CTMS. Thus the port users, especially importers, would be financially benefited.
Productivity at the yards would also increase, as containers would be stacked according to location, said the CPA chairman.
Manual interpretation and documentation would significantly be reduced with the new system, he said, adding that no signatures would be required for delivery of imported goods.
At present, as many as 24 signatures are needed to receive delivery of imported goods.
Mostafa said, “We will be able to get storages plans, such as the types and the numbers of containers being loaded at foreign ports before they start for Chittagong Port.”
He said berthing schedules and allocating berths for arrival and departure of vessels could be automatically fixed. Container handling equipment will load and unload containers automatically, said Mostafa.
He also said the containers could be automatically stacked at the directed spots in the terminals and yards through pre-planned direction.
The port users or container owners will be able to pay bills online from their offices, he said. The gate control and management system would also be automated.
The port handled 14.68 lakh TEUs (twenty equivalent units) containers in 2010-11, up from 12.12 lakh TEUs in the previous year, according to the CPA Traffic Department.
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