The main seaport of the country, Chattogram Port, is the “gateway of Bangladesh” as around 95 per cent export and import cargoes are transported through this port. It is a self-financing service oriented organisation.
Media report in a national daily on Monday said that in the fiscal year 2019-2020, Chattogram Port earned around Tk 3,000 crore as service charge by handling cargoes. Excluding all expenditures and the government fixed amount, its net profit stood at Tk 801 crore. Chattogram Customs House earns one third of the country’s total revenue, while Chattogram Port is the second highest revenue earner.
According to the report, Chattogram Port is the only public service organisation that does get any financial support from the government. Rather, as per the government decision, it will have to provide Tk 3,000 crore to the Finance Ministry and Tk 461 crore to the Payra Port from its surplus fund. It also constructs new ports, makes port’s expansion and other necessary works from its own income.
It is to be noted that a bill was passed in parliament on February 5 this year to bring the surplus money of 61 state and autonomous agencies to the national exchequer.
Meanwhile, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is demanding one per cent of the port’s income for the development of the port city. However, the port authority said they are developing roads and other infrastructures in their areas themselves. Even then they are giving the city corporation an amount of Tk 35 to 40 crore every year.
On the other hand, Chattogram police administration has also been demanding Tk 1,600 crore from the port authority for providing various logistic services, including deployment of police, construction of police boxes and other infrastructures. As if their share of plundering. This is a sign of free plundering and no discipline in the government. To claim a share in the port’s income appears strange.
