Chattogram Bureau :
Cargo dwell time at the Chattogram port has decreased by around 42 percent, or 7.49 days, in the past six years, enhancing the ease of doing business in the country.
According to data from the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), a cargo container stayed at the Chattogram port for around 17.48 days (dwell time) on average in 2014-15 fiscal year, which dropped to just 9.99 days in FY2019-20.
The significant decrease in dwell time is easing container congestion at the port’s storage yard and allowing exporters-importers to save on storage charges imposed by the port authorities.
Dwell time is the time taken to offload import containers onto a truck, trailer, covered van or train from the port yard; and to load export containers from the port yard onto a ship.
“This is a milestone achievement for the port as well as for businesses in the country. That we have been able to reduce the dwell time by half despite our limited resources has been possible because of some smart decisions of the authorities concerned,” said Mahbubul Alam, president of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
He, however, observed that the dwell time should come down below 24 hours as the cost of doing business is related to it.
“Spending more time on offloading containers means a higher cost of business. Ultimately, the prices of imported products go up and the costs of exports get higher,” he explained.
Mahbubul Alam also expressed his hope that the cargo dwell time at the Chattogram port will come further down once the Patenga Container Terminal and Bay Terminal are complete. “The port authorities should speed up the construction work on the ongoing projects,” he stressed.
The Chattogram port that handles 92 percent of Bangladesh’s export-import trade has a storage capacity of only 49,018 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers. The port can only offload containers from vessels if there is availability of storage spaces.
Over the last five years, export-import container handling at Chattogram port has increased by 60 percent or 1,137,080 TEUs. In FY2014-15, the port handled only 1,867,062 TEUs, while in FY2019-20 it handled 3,004,142 TEUs.
Cargo dwell time at the Chattogram port has decreased by around 42 percent, or 7.49 days, in the past six years, enhancing the ease of doing business in the country.
According to data from the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), a cargo container stayed at the Chattogram port for around 17.48 days (dwell time) on average in 2014-15 fiscal year, which dropped to just 9.99 days in FY2019-20.
The significant decrease in dwell time is easing container congestion at the port’s storage yard and allowing exporters-importers to save on storage charges imposed by the port authorities.
Dwell time is the time taken to offload import containers onto a truck, trailer, covered van or train from the port yard; and to load export containers from the port yard onto a ship.
“This is a milestone achievement for the port as well as for businesses in the country. That we have been able to reduce the dwell time by half despite our limited resources has been possible because of some smart decisions of the authorities concerned,” said Mahbubul Alam, president of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
He, however, observed that the dwell time should come down below 24 hours as the cost of doing business is related to it.
“Spending more time on offloading containers means a higher cost of business. Ultimately, the prices of imported products go up and the costs of exports get higher,” he explained.
Mahbubul Alam also expressed his hope that the cargo dwell time at the Chattogram port will come further down once the Patenga Container Terminal and Bay Terminal are complete. “The port authorities should speed up the construction work on the ongoing projects,” he stressed.
The Chattogram port that handles 92 percent of Bangladesh’s export-import trade has a storage capacity of only 49,018 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers. The port can only offload containers from vessels if there is availability of storage spaces.
Over the last five years, export-import container handling at Chattogram port has increased by 60 percent or 1,137,080 TEUs. In FY2014-15, the port handled only 1,867,062 TEUs, while in FY2019-20 it handled 3,004,142 TEUs.
