Congestion at Ctg port irks users

Congestion of vessels and cargoes continues at Chittagong port, with the port authorities coming under fire from higher authorities and business leaders
 ‘We don’t see any sign of improvement yet; rather the congestion escalated in recent days forcing the traders to suffer,’ said the convener of Port Users Forum Mahbubul Alam.
‘We are urging for putting more pressure on CPA for increasing facilities at the port to ease the congestion. Otherwise, the trouble will linger mounting the sufferings of the users,’  Mahbubul, also president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry added.        
He observed that CPA must procure huge equipment without delay along with developing more jetties and terminals to cope with the growing number of vessels and cargoes.
‘It must concentrate on capacity building to tackle the surge in ships and cargoes,’ he pointed out.
Chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury said CPA continued to face pressure from all relevant quarters over the ongoing congestion time and again, but it failed to bring about expected result.
‘We are very much concerned as the operational crisis at this port has deepened now instead of improvement. Congestion at Chittagong port is still in a miserable condition,’ he added.
The vessels coming to the port were being forced to stay in queue at the outer anchorage for six to 10 days on an average due to congestion while huge number of containers have remained stuck up at port jetties, he informed.
He pointed out that shortage of logistics and space at the jetty yards aggravated the situation day by day.
A senior CPA official, however, claimed that  the congestion had already started easing  as the turn-around time of vessels coming here came down to five days on average.
‘We are trying to improve efficiency of this port,’ he claimed.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
‘We are facing criticism for this congestion frequently from different quarters, mainly from the leaders of apparel sector. But we could not take any significant steps to decongest the port,’ he admitted.
He pointed out that a section of traders who used the port premises as warehouses were also making delay in taking delivery of imported goods.
‘We always urge them to take quick delivery of the imported goods to vacate the port space for easing the congestion,’ he also pointed out.
He informed that the congestion hit Chittagong port following a surge in arrival of ships and cargo during the last Ramadan and ahead of declaration of budget while the fallout of cyclone ‘Mora’ and the damage caused to two key gantry cranes at port’s container terminal in an accident on June 25 this year increased the operational crisis.