Newly assigned Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Commodore Zulfiqar Aziz expressed his desire to turn the principal seaport of the country- Chittagong Port into a business -friendly port.
Since his assigning as CPA chairman he undertakes the some immediate tasks on priority basis so as to tackle the situation towards continuous port’s progress the views shared with the different trade personalities and port users in the meantime. He also formulated a short term planning to sustain the continued progress of cargo handling of which implementation process in hand .
CPA chairman disclosed it to media personalities in an interview recently . He also told that at present there are no new berths and terminal than existing and I should go ahead with the existing berths and terminals to sustain the continous progress.
Therefore, in this short term planning, handling of bulk cargo and containers should be speed up on priority basis. While asked about his short term planning told this correspondent that three major tasks i.e. container delivery, cargo loading in container(stuffing) and cargo unloading from container (unstuffing) will be relocated from present port shed to Bay Terminal site and the implementation process of new plans now in hand. He also hoped that the new formula of cargo handling from Bay Terminal instead of Port shed may be from June 2019 .
About Bay Terminal, CPA Chairman told that Govt already acquisioned 7 acres of land for CPA where . yard construction will be undertaken on priority basis and the yard jurisdiction will be expanded further after more acquisition of land . He further said after transfer of container delivery yard, stuffing, unstuffing of cargos to will be Bay terminal, the existing port yard will be divide d into two zones i.e. one for import cargos and other for export consignments come from private depots. As a result huge spaces inside the port sheds will be cleared from congestion where cargo handling can be undertaken smoothly in a speedy way. Commodore Aziz opines the average stay of a container vessel in port will be lessen by 24 hours than the present average stay of 54 hours and annual vessel handling will increase by double if the new d e vice of handling is affected . He firmly told that if the new plans is implemented , there will be no need of new berths at this moment till constructions of new terminal.
While asked about the ongoing projects of CPA, he told that in the meantime, construction of Patenga Termianl at Laldiarchar already started under overall supervision of Engineering Corp of Bangladesh Army which will be completed for operation on December 2019 next.
Meanwhile a bulk terminal at Laldiarchar under Public Private partnership formula already approved by the concerned authority in the meantime and documents processing for PPP including foreign investment in the project now undergoing. While asked about the non-enlisting in the priority programmes of Prime Minister regarding Bay Terminal, CPA chief told despite non-enlisting in first track programs, the project work is progressing fast and in the meantime land aquisation work already completed. Port Chairman further told that beside the constructions of terminals, berths , we should deploy the new modern equipments of handling like other developed ports for accelerate the handling activities.
He disclosed that modern handling equipment for about Tk.1200 crores already procured from abroad. He told that out of 52 types of equipments, agreement signed with foreign companies for 42 types of equipments. He further disclosed that 6 new gantry cranes will be added with the present equipments by this year.
On the other hand , the r eparing of two inoperative cranes now under progressing which will be deployed in operation by end of this year, as a result total 8 gantry cranes will go into functioning this year in addition of existing cranes.
Port chairman also clarifies the reasons of Govt Procurement Policy (DPM) for procurement of equipments for CPA and said the procurement of equipments will be done through open tender system from next.
About the over stay of foreign vessels at outer berths lack of lighter vessels or berth problems which causes the financially to importers as well as jeopardizing the reputations of Chittaong Port, he said.
Mercentile Marine Department is looking after this portions of port activities. However, CPA is mulling to speed up this unloading activities in outer berths and to get rid of this problems. CPA is constructing a terminal beside the Patenga Incontrade Ltd Depot where 4 berths will be constructed for smooth berthings of lighter vessels , he added.
Port Chairman further told that 5 jettis (berths) are now under construction at Sadarghat old terminal and hoped that these berths will be operated very shortly where lighter vessels will unload the cargos from mother vessels.
Lastly Port chairman hoped that the prevailing activities of the port will be eased gradually in coming days after the implementation of short term planning and continuous progress will be sustained .
