Chittagong to reduce port charges

Chittagong port charges will be reduced by June to make the country's export-import trade more efficient, according to Bangladesh Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, reported the Financial Express.

The minister said: "We want to fix port charges for Chittagong port in the style of Mumbai and Chennai ports of India."
He formed a three-member high-powered committee led by the shipping secretary to recommend on the issue.

The past caretaker government increased port equipment and service charges including that for gantry cranes, container storage, container movement, tug boats and for other facilities.

Ahsanul Hoque Chowdhury, BSAA chairman, said: "Our business has remained costly in Bangladesh because of high port charges."
Ahsan claimed that port charges are much lower in other continental ports.

The BSAA chief said the immediate-past caretaker government imposed higher port tariffs "whimsically without considering the real situation".

The port equipment and other related service charges at Chittagong port went up during October in 2007.
The cost of using rail-mounted quay gantry cranes is now US$15 per TEU and $22.50 per FEU.

Charges for empty 20-foot and 40-foot containers have increased to $7.5 and $11.25 respectively.

Captain Rafiqul Islam, country director of PIL, a Singapore-based feeder service, said: "We are paying an additional amount coming around $7,000 for each voyage carrying 1,300 containers on an average."

Container storage charges at the terminal witnessed an increase four times the earlier rate after free-stay time of five days.
Currently, container storage charges after free-stay time is $6 for each container against $1.5 earlier.

The caretaker government also increased tug-boat and water supply charges by 50 per cent.

Currently, shipping agents are paying $158 for tug-boats for 200-1,000 general registered tonnage (GRT) against $110 earlier.

The tug-boat charge for the 1000-5000 GRT also rose by 43 per cent in 2007. The charges are now $316 against $220 earlier.
Tug-boat charges above 5000 GRT is $632. It was $440 before October 2007.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)