Chattogram Bureau :
The government is taking Tk3,461 crore from the surplus fund of Chattogram port.
Of this, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) will soon provide Tk3,000 crore to the finance ministry and the remaining Tk471 crore to the Payra Port.
In a meeting with the Chattogram Port Authority in July, the finance ministry discussed taking Tk3,000 crore from the port’s surplus fund. Later, the ministry sent a letter to the port authorities to pay Tk500 crore in the first phase, Chattogram port sources said.
Additionally, the shipping ministry has sent a letter to Chattogram Port asking for Tk461.90 crore as grant for implementation of the proposed “Rabnabad Channel (Inner and Outer) Maintenance Dredging Project” at Payra Port.
Rear Admiral SM Abul Kalam Azad, Chairman of CPA, told that as per the government decision, the Chattogram Port Authority will provide Tk3,000 crore to the finance ministry and the remaining Tk461 crore to the Payra Port.
“We will pay the amount of money to the two organisations soon. The finance ministry will be given Tk500 crore in phases,” he said.
CPA Secretary Mohammad Omar Faruk said that last year the government was supposed to take about Tk10,000 crore from the port surplus fund, but did not take it. Later that money was allocated to finance various development projects of the port.
Earlier, a bill was passed in parliament on February 5 to bring the surplus money of 61 state and autonomous agencies to the national exchequer.
