The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) plans to purchase required equipment in the shortest possible time and introduce newly constructed 400-metre lighterage jetty by December to ease port congestion.

It also plans to ensure release of dangerous cargoes by Bangladesh Navy during weekend, send more import goods to private off-docks for delivery and build new sheds to examine goods.

The CPA took 20 such short-, medium- and long-term decisions in a meeting with the port stakeholders in Chittagong yesterday.

A decision was taken to ensure unstuffing of goods from “Less than container load” containers at the port yards is completed in two days, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal said.

Delivery of the import laden “Full container load” containers would be done within the same day following completion of customs procedures, he said.

He urged all stakeholders, users and Chittagong Customs House to develop a system immediately to operate round the clock so that the importers and exporters can get service 24 hours a day. “The port and the customs house have already taken steps to keep its offices open 24 hours in seven days of a week.”

Representatives of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, freight forwarders, clearing and forwarding agents, main line shipping operators, berth operators along with Bangladesh Bank officials attended the meeting.

The port users expressed their dissatisfaction over the long delay in infrastructure development and purchasing of necessary equipment. Iqbal also said they would complete Patenga Container Terminal by 2019, Laldia Multi Purpose Terminal by 2020 and the first phase of Bay Terminal by 2021.

He said the proposed reconstruction of the 12 jetties in general cargo berth into Karnaphuli Container Terminal is sensitive and they want to implement the reconstruction gradually.

The CPA chairman informed that they got approval for purchasing 55 equipment last year while contract have been signed for 80 percent of those equipment and they have started to arrive.

The situation in the port has noticeably improved, he said.

The maximum waiting time of GI vessels has come down to maximum 7 days as of yesterday while it reached upto 17 to 18 days earlier and maximum waiting time of gearless container vessels lessened to 5 days and geared vessels to 4 to 2 days, he said.

Shipping Secretary Ashoke Madhab Roy hoped that the port will receive 10 percent more equipment before 2021.

He said they have already started working to implement the incomplete projects like construction of three terminals and they hope to complete those in time.

He assured of giving approval within 7 days if the port proposed to construct new yard in its 37-acre land inside the labour colony.

Chittagong Customs House Commissioner AFM Abdullah Khan emphasised increasing delivery of goods in the night time to reduce road jam.

Ninety four revenue officers have already been posted in the customs house, Khan said, assuring that round the clock service will be provided in jetties off-docks.

Currently, 94 percent delivery is done from 9am to 9pm, he mentioned.

Local lawmaker MA Latif, also a member of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry, criticised the long delay in infrastructure development.

He said 13 jetties were built before the liberation war while only seven more jetties could be constructed in the last 45 years.

At least 70 jetties are needed to be built as the port is experiencing 14 to 15 percent growth in containers and 22 percent growth in bulk cargoes in the last several years, he said.

Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Khalilur Rahman said all types of import containers are needed to be sent to the private off-docks for delivery.

Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, chairman of the BGMEA standing committee on port and shipping affairs, also spoke.