Five feeder operators through a fax message on Monday afternoon informed the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and the users of the final decision enforcing the surcharge for thirty days beginning from June 5.

The CPA and the shipping minister expressed a huge resentment at the imposition of the congestion surcharge by the feeder operators ignoring continuous requests from the port users.

As such after the decision on surcharge was conveyed, the CPA officials sat in an urgent meeting on Monday to finalise the counter measures against the concerned feeder operators and streamline the situation as well.

CPA yesterday issued a circular enforcing the counter measures.

As per the decision, the CPA would give preferential berthing and other facilities to the other operators not imposing the surcharge.

Under the measures vessels carrying containers in full capacity would have the berthing on priority basis while no vessel, particularly those imposing surcharge, won't be allowed to stay idle at the port jetty, said concerned sources.

Besides, the cut off time would be strictly followed for the vessels of those five operators, they said.

“The notice relating to the measures against the imposition of surcharge has been prepared and is being circulated to all concerned,” CPA Secretary Farhad Uddin told The Daily Star last evening.

Moreover, the CPA would reserve keep three of its seven berths reserved for the other operators, including the national flag carriers, while in the rest four berths, which are to remain open for the vessels of all operators, those not imposing the surcharge would get priority, said the sources in the CPA.

Earlier, five feeder vessel operators - Advanced Container Line, QC Shipping, HRC Shipping, Orient Shipping and Sea Consortium, through a notice on May 5, threatened to impose the surcharge unless the congestion of container vessels at Chittagong had been brought down to a tolerable level by a one-month time that expired on June 4.

The CPA as well as Shipping Minister Akber Hossain himself said reporting of the vessels carrying containers are much below the number that suits the congestion situation at the port.

Putting up statistics in this regard, the minister in the second meeting of Maritime Council on Sunday said a vessel recently reported at the port with only 44 containers against its capacity of 1050 containers, while another 574 container capacity arrived with 54 containers and 74 containers in two separate voyages.

They requested the feeder operators to defer the decision on congestion surcharge till the middle of August when the CPA would get two berths at New Mooring Container Terminal (NTC) ready for operation to improve the situation remarkably.

But, the five operators turned aside the requests from the CPA, shipping minister and the users of the port.

It evoked a huge resentment among the businessmen, particularly those in the textile and garment sectors, who are now contemplating a legal action against the feeder operators.

BGMEA leaders claimed that the surcharge, especially at such a higher rate of US$ 130 for each 20 TEUs container, did not have any logic.

Through the surcharge the feeder operators would take away an additional amount of over TK 50 crore in foreign currency in 30 days, they alleged.

Over 55 thousand TEUs of containers of export and import goods are handled through the port in 30 days, they said in this regard.

BGMEA Frist Vice-President SM Abu Tayyab alleged that the imposition of surcharge would involve a big amount of additional money and cause an immense loss to the garments sector as well as the national economy.

“We would go for legal action against them and also urge the government to take stern measures against the imposition of surcharge,” he said while taking to this correspondent.

FBCCI CONCERNED

UNB adds: The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has expressed its concern over the imposition of congestion surcharge on container cargoes at Chittagong Port.

In a statement yesterday, the country's apex trade body apprehended that the imposition of surcharge on cargoes would increase the cost of doing business and result in further price hike of essentials.

"Surcharge of $130 for each 20-foot container has been imposed, though the feeder operators could not justify the basis of this imposition. FBCCI feels that this kind of surcharge will create negative impact on country's overall trade and economy," the apex trade body said.

It said the feeder operators were supposed to give the cost analysis of the surcharge to the port authority, but they failed. The feeder operators served notice mentioning the turnaround time of the vessels between 12 and 13 days, but the fact remains that the current turnaround time is 7 or 8 days.

"Therefore, the imposition of surcharge is not justified. Surcharge will result in the price hike of essential commodities, mounting sufferings of the common people. The Chittagong Port is the gateway to the economy of Bangladesh and this port is situated at a strategic geographical location," it said.