Chtg Port allows three more feeder vessels to operate

Chittagong: In a surprise move Monday, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) made a U-turn on allowing any new feeder vessels on the feeder line that connects Chittagong Port with Singapore, Colombo, Port Klang and Tanjung Pelapas. In a meeting on the day the CPA decided that it would allow three more new operators on the feeder line.


The CPA in its previously-issued circular had asked the intending feeder vessel operators not to operate their vessels on the route because of congestions of containers and vessels at Chittagong Port.


CPA Chairman AMM Shahadat Hossain said Tuesday that it reviewed its earlier decision because of piling up of cargoes in Singapore.


'Both Bangladesh-bound import cargoes and local export cargoes have increased in the recent times and a large volume of import cargoes have been lying at Singapore Port. And the three new feeder vessel operators are permitted to run their vessels on the route considering the increasing cargoes both at home and abroad,' the CPA chairman said.


In Monday's meeting the CPA also decided to withdraw the existing priority berthing for gearless feeder vessels.

Earlier on November 2, the CPA issued letters to the three new feeder vessel operators, who were trying to obtain permission to run their vessels on the route, asking them not to deploy additional feeder vessels at Chittagong Port.


According to the letter, the CPA would allow additional feeder vessels after start of the full-scale operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT).


The three new feeder vessel operators are Eagle Pioneer, Eagle Progress and Zhe Hi and their local agents are Continental Trading, Everbest Shipping Agencies and Vega Marine respectively.


General Manager of Continental Trading Fazlul Hoque said that the CPA took the pragmatic steps for the sake of trade as huge Bangladesh-bound cargoes were lying piled up at Singapore Port and Port Klang.


He also claimed that importers were searching for alternative feeder services following high freight rates of those feeder vessels controlled by the Chittagong Feeder Trade Committee (CFTC) and frequent threat of slapping congestion surcharge.


In the meantime, CPA officials told the FE that Chairman AMM Shahadat Hossain and Director-Traffic Ahsanul Kabir unilaterally took the decision to allow the new feeder vessels without seeking senior colleagues' opinions.


'They (Chairman and Director-Traffic) had also issued controversial letters to the intending feeder service providers banning new feeder vessels on the line, by surpassing senior port officials,' said one senior official wishing anonymity.


Earlier on October 19, the Supreme Court (SC) imposed an embargo on operation of any new feeder vessels on the route.


However, the CPA itself allowed the Eagle Pioneer and the Eagle Progress-two large gearless feeder vessel operators-for the sake of carrying 1,700 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) of import cargoes that contributed about Tk 170 million in revenue to the national exchequer, sources said.