Chittagong Port to run NCT for 42 crore taka, not foreign operator!
The government has taken a policy decision to operate the much-discussed NCT terminal for the next six months through Chittagong Port, not a foreign operator. After receiving the decision from the Ministry of Shipping, the port authority has started preparing to operate the terminal. In this regard, the port has also sent a letter to the government seeking permission to spend 42 crore taka for 6 months at the rate of 7 crore per month.
A letter sent by the port chairman to the secretary of the Ministry of Shipping mentions that the government has taken a policy decision to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal-NCT for the next 6 months through Chittagong Port. And this letter has been written to seek permission to spend 42 crore taka for 6 months at the rate of 7 crore per month for the operation of this terminal. According to the law, the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is required for purchases exceeding 5 crore taka.
The political arena of the country has been heated for the last few months regarding the assignment of the responsibility of operating this much-discussed terminal. The contract of the current terminal operator Saif Power Tech is expiring on July 6 this year. In this situation, when it was indicated that a foreign operator could take over the responsibility of this terminal, political parties including port users started a movement.
Port users believe that this decision of the government is to avoid tension. Executive Director of Reliance Shipping and Logistics Wahid Alam said that if the Chittagong Port Authority can efficiently manage a system itself without handing it over to a foreign company, then that will be a big proof of its capability.
Of the 3.2 million containers handled at Chittagong Port, 44 percent are handled solely by NCT. That is why 14 of the port’s 18 state-of-the-art gantry cranes have been installed here. This terminal, which has the capacity to handle four ships at a time, also has multiple rubber-tied gantry cranes.
The remaining 4 gantry cranes are at CCT, which has the capacity to handle three ships. Container handling there is 37 percent. Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Vice President Shafiqul Alam Jewel said that if the Central Container Movement Monitoring System (CKMS) is operated properly, Chittagong Port will be able to operate easily through it.
Although it is not possible to appoint an operator by inviting open tenders in a short time to keep the country’s import-export trade active through NCT, this former port official believes that the port may face various challenges in this regard.
Mohammad Zafar Alam, a former member of the Chittagong Port Authority, said, “From a business perspective, everyone will want the goods to be unloaded on time. The unloading process should not be hampered in the name of new tests.”
Although the construction of this 1,000-meter-long new mooring container terminal was completed in 2007 at a cost of Tk 570 crore, an operator could not be appointed here for 3 years due to various complications.
Later, Saif Powertech was given the responsibility of the operator. However, this state-of-the-art gantry crane was installed at a cost of about Tk 2,000 crore by the port.
