Page 30 - IBT Sept 2021 (1)

Cover Focus KEEPING THE
COUNTRY MOVING

digitize the country, we had a game changing Chittagong Port Trade Facilitation Project and during that time Chittagong Port and wants to do business then where 9 months in a year they remain covered in ice. But they What is your vision for the Blue Economy How are you ensuring the wellbeing of the people
asset readily available at our disposal. There I was Member (Harbour and Member) in Chittagong Port. he has to comply with the above mentioned are the market leaders in the maritime sector for cell of ministry of energy and minerals working in the port?
were a few setbacks in getting accustomed but Today we can exactly pinpoint where our container is, the measures and keep the above options open so transportation of cargo. We had Bangladesh Shipping resources? How do you envision Since the onset of the pandemic, we have taken extreme care
once we recognized the potential of digitization, number of containers, and the yard it is located in – all of it in that other people can use unused slots and Corporation (BSC) since 1973 but we could not utilize that. If implementing them? of our people. Initially we requested non-operation staff not
we began utilizing it fully. We began to carry out real time. containers. With our intervention the shipping we could utilize it, then we could carry 50% of our import and Port and shipping are two important sectors of come to office, allowing only the officers and staff and
activities digitally and virtually. Our entire port Every year we are handling around 3 million TEUs, making it company had to comply with above measures export. As per the WTO’s International Code of Conduct for the Blue Economy. Port is the staging hub for labourers involved in port operations to come – this accounted
system has a digital network. All over the difficult to track individual containers manually. Our and now the system is functioning smoothly. Liners Services for maritime cargo ratio is 40% of cargo for maritime trade and shipping encompasses for only 25% dedicated personnel who kept port operations
country, we started doing our import-export, automated system has made the process easier. The container In Chittagong Port, there is no congestion, no importers and 40% for the exporters and 20% by the rest of the maritime transportation between origin and running. We kept business, transportation and trade i.e.,
IGM, freight – everything – over digital means. is discharged from the ship onto a container mover. The driver shortage of containers and yard space. Yard world. In our case, we are both the importer and exporter. destination. Last year our maritime trade import and export uninterrupted. For the time being we only
Initially our people were slightly hesitant, but then inputs the name and location into the Hand-Held space of Chittagong Port is 49018 TEUs. With Given the way the percentages are divided, we have the volume was around $90billion, which is a slowed down development work. We have provided all-out
within a matter of just a few days they became Terminal (HHT) computerized system, and takes it to the yard existing facilities, the port will be able to opportunity to take 50% share of the pie if we have our own very high prospect. If we can use this support to our staff. Government issued Health Guidelines
acquainted with the efficiency of the digital to stack it where he inputs the yard, stack and row numbers. handle 4-5 million TEUs yearly and presently merchant fleet, but we do not have a sufficient number of particular sector, we can significantly and we ensured that those guidelines are strictly
system. The information goes to CTMS, informing the operator where we are handling about 3 million TEUs plus. containers carrying vessels. Recently, the government has contribute to our economy. However, presently implemented. We have provided an adequate number of PPEs,
Global ranking on the ports of the world is the container is. After collecting the container, the operator taken the initiative to develop our commercial fleet so that we our participation is bare minimum. We can masks, and hand sanitizers. In all the gates we have ensured
decided arbitrarily through the number of TEUs inputs the new position of subsequent containers. This helps Bangladesh has made headlines can carry our own cargo. Considering our trade volume which earn billions of dollars from the maritime that people are entering, washing their hands and
handled at the port. Since there was a global the system stay updated in real time. considering the huge maritime resources is around US$90 billion, we have the potential to carry sector as freight. The other infrastructure we maintaining social distancing. We made sure the working
shutdown and imports were slow to come to As Chittagong Port Authority we have many responsibilities. we have at the Bay of Bengal. How can around 45%-50% trade volume and we can earn US$10-$12 have is Inland Container Depo (ICD)/ Off areas are disinfected regularly, and we take care to disinfect
we turn that potential into a reality?
Bangladesh, similarly even exports from We have to keep the economy moving. In international What's your vision for that? billion as freight. The domestic rule is also in our favour Docks, Inland Container Terminal (ICT), all the vehicles entering the port as port gates are all fitted
Bangladesh slowed down. This made buyers shipping there is a term called Common Carrier Agreement It is the responsibility of top decision makers because we have Flag Protection Regulation. It would have a Cold-chain Logistics Facilities and other with disinfectant spray. We ensured port health services were
reluctant to send and receive cargo. However, the (CCA). Feeder vessels are coming to CPA and they used to to convert liabilities into assets, which is very significant impact on GDP. sectors like railway, road and inland activated for vessels coming from abroad and we did not
overall efficiency of the port has not gone down. normally bring their own important. Earlier our people used to say that waterways– all are connected with the allow any seamen to disembark onto the shore. If anyone was
The report we have this year is from 1 January cargos, they never used to our huge population is a liability. But look at it Recently BGMEA made a request for the release of seaports. found infected with the Coronavirus, we kept the vessel in
2020 to 31 December 2020 so it is not a recent share their surplus space or today, we have been successful in converting imported goods from CPA, instead of the same from If deep seaport can be implemented at the quarantine berths and provided treatment to that individual.
statistic. The 2021 report will be available next Last year, our slot. For example, a ship has our population into human resource and now Inland Container Depot (ICD). Do you think this will earliest, we can provide service to the entire Chittagong Port has a
year. Normally in Chittagong Port, we handle competitors like Vietnam slots for 2.400 TEUs, but they are going outside for work and sending a expedite the overall export import process? How are region. Everyone – Nepal, Bhutan, India and well-founded hospital. We
around 270,000 – 285,000 TEUs in a month, but and China who are also in when she is leaving, she is huge volume of remittance which contributes a you going to respond to such pleas? Myanmar – are trying to utilize our resources. have established a COVID-19
because of the pandemic, the cargo flow slowed loaded 1,000 TEUs of laden lion share in our economy. All over the world there is no port except Chittagong Port China is trying to make a corridor from unit in Chittagong Port
down to 140,000 TEUs between April 2020 to RMG exporters were not containers and another 500 In the Bay of Bengal, the primary perception which is unstuffing the FCL container cargoes and giving Yunnan Province to Chittagong Port, and it is Hospital and gave service to
You have an illustrious career. Previously you we can develop a deep seaport. A deep seaport will allow June 2020. It has picked up again to 280,000 – affected as much as ours TEUs of empty containers, delivery of those from the port yards. FCL container cargoes one of their points of interest in the Belt Road Chittagong Port personnel as
have headed the operations of Mongla Port Chittagong Port to provide service to all the regional ports like 290,000 TEUs. This year, both our import and and other slots remain was that the sea is blocking our country, but are coming to Chittagong Port and we are discharging it from Initiative. well to locals. A lot of people
and now our principal port. What according to Mongla, Payra, Akyb, Yangon, Laem Cha Bang, Ranong, by the pandemic and sea is the cheapest mode of transportation. ship, stacking in the yard, apprising, unstuffing and Presently, we are trying to introduce the feeder have taken service from the
you is the prospect of port led growth and how Phuket and in the western side Kolkata, Holdia, Vizag, and in export has gone up and in the last seven to eight their ports were open, unutilised, then she sails off Earlier we were preoccupied by land, but since delivering it to the users. Chittagong Port is an ISPS compliant service in the Bay of Bengal region. For
can it contribute to our economy? the south Andaman and Nicobar. months the cargo flow has been good and and we shipped cargo to Singapore or Colombo, but then we have realized the potential in our seas. port. After 9/11, the international ports have come under this example, if Matarbari is turned into a deep port hospital free of cost. We
Port and shipping are two important segments of Currently in the Chittagong Port, if a ship is coming from encouraging. Now we stand at 2.1million TEUs she won’t share slots with And this was done by the Father of Nation security compliance. Last year, the US Coast Guard was seaport, then cargo will come from Mongla, have installed high-flow
maritime trade. The country’s maritime trade and Singapore to Bangladesh carrying a maximum of 2,400 TEUs, so we are making up the loss. We are aiming to from China to others because there is Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when monitoring and doing the survey and reporting back to the US Payra and Chittagong port and if we introduce oxygen cannula. Recently we
commerce is principally based on Chittagong Port. the freight cost from Chattogram – Singapore will come up to reach 3.2 million next year. So, we will be able to Bangladesh. But this competition among feeder he enacted the Territorial Waters and Maritime government to ensure cargos are going safely to the European a feeder service, this opens another scope of are installing an oxygen
Almost 98% of container cargo and 92% of the total US$1100- 1500. However, once the capacity of Chittagong Port rebound and perform even better next year. time, it is the opposite operators. This type of Zones Act 1974 in April 1974 and on the other and American market. Their observation was, not to unstuff business, employment and investment. Ports plant and ICU as well. We are
trade of the country flows through the Chittagong is enhanced by constructing Bay Terminal, the freight will Importantly, last year our competitors like with their ports shutdown competition is driven by the hand, Law of the Sea was enacted in 1982 and to deliver cargo from Chittagong Port yards. If one visits of neighbouring countries may also use this self-sufficient in healthcare.
Port. Other ports like Mongla Port, Payra Port, Land come down to half, enabling us to bring vessels having 12 m Vietnam and China who are also in RMG buyers on some occasions by much later. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur the Chittagong Port on a busy day he will be greeted with a port. If we can do this, the living standard and In the port hospital we have
Ports and Airport, all encompass about 8%. From drafts with 4000-5000 TEUs of containers. If Matarbari deep exporters were not affected as much as ours by and ours running at full making demands that certain Rahman has shown us the path and the chaotic scene with cargo being unstuffed in every yard and per capita income will go up. This maritime also established COVID-19
these statistics one can understand the importance of seaport terminal is in place and we have a deep seaport, then the pandemic and their ports were open, and we capacity. vessels should carry their potential that lies at sea. Our sea is full of hundreds of trucks and trailers going inside and loading. sector alone can contribute 3%-4% to our GDP vaccine centre – one for
seaports. It is not just in Bangladesh, globally the that port will be able to facilitate a vessel with a draft of 18 shipped cargo from China to Bangladesh. But cargo. We ensured this time living and non-living resources. Infrastructure, Every day Chittagong port handles more than 8,000 trucks, growth if the whole process can be Chittagong port workers and
maritime transportation is the cheapest and it meters carrying 8000 TEUs of container cargo. It will bring this time, it is the opposite with their ports that the feeder vessels are services, living and non-living are the 4 types covered vans and trailers. If we can deliver cargo from Off streamlined and brought under one single two for local people. We
handles a huge volume of cargo at one go. For down freight to almost one third. Thus, port economics can shutdown and ours running at full capacity. signing CCA among of resources offered by the sea. At present we Docks, it’ll be more efficient. Rete and numbers of handling ministry. Port and shipping, the two vital requested the Ministry of
example, if you want to carry a cargo from make a difference in developing the national economy, and at themselves to share unused slots. We also ensured that Main are fishing and collecting minerals from the will increase manyfold. elements of maritime trade and being the Health through the Ministry
Chittagong to Dhaka by land road, it takes US$350, the same time it will also be able to shape the economics of What are the other technical issues that Line Operators are signing Direct Interchange (DI) of seawater, seabed and from the subsoil there of. When cargo is discharged from the ship and it is in the nodal point of economic activity and cheapest of Shipping for allocation of vaccine to all types of port
we need to overcome? Can you elaborate
at the same if you want to use the riverine road, from this entire Indian subcontinent and Bay of Bengal region. on the kind of digitization that has been Containers among the MLOs to share each other’s unused We are also using the sea surface for container yard, we allow 4 days of free-time. But if they want means of transportation, play a game officials, laborers and stakeholders. We have ensured 15,000
Chittagong to ICT Pangaon, it is only $100. The done in the Chittagong Port? What are the empty containers to carry exports. Besides, we requested transportation of maritime trade. The sea is a to keep the cargo in the yard for a longer time than that and changing role in the national economy and officials and laborers get the vaccine in the port hospital on a
Chittagong Port has 3-dimensional linkage – river, You were appointed during a difficult time, in the special measures you have taken to keep BGMEA to ask their foreign Buyers to keep the option open to road to reach the outside world and conduct use Chittagong Port as a storage, we cannot afford to do that. contribute significantly to GDP. Lion share of priority basis, because they are the Front Liners. So far, 53
land and railway. This port is not only providing midst of a pandemic. How did you try to overcome the the country's import and export carry export using available feeder operator, MLO and stuffing import and export of goods to the foreign The government has given licenses to the Off Docks/ ICDs, and foreign currency reserve earning is through port officials sacrificed their lives in the ongoing pandemic to
service to the domestic cargo, but at the same time it challenges you faced? Due to global trade slow down, uninterrupted? export goods in containers from Off Docks. We have asked country. If we would have a national flag most of the cargo for export is kept and stuffed from there. port and shipping handling import and export. keep the country’s lifeline running. And more than 2,500 were
is providing service to the regional countries, e.g., CPA's ranking was hampered globally. Tell us how we In the Chittagong Port we have a Computerized feeder vessel operators to redirect some of their vessels to container carrier commercial fleet both in the Importers want the same provision but it is making the port The effective use of port and shipping is of severely affected but thankfully they are cured. Chittagong
can rebound?
India, Nepal, Bhutan and in the future, it will be able I was appointed as the Chairman of Mongla Port Authority on Terminal Management System (CTMS). In some Chattogram-Colombo route from another route. Additionally, public and private sector; we could earn huge congested bringing down port efficiency because the port yard paramount importance for the overall Port’s motto is “the country moves with us”. We took the
to provide service to some extent to the landlocked 8th April, towards the very beginning of the pandemic. The countries it is known as the Terminal Operating we permitted six new vessels to operate between revenue in foreign currency which would be in is limited and it has to be used judiciously so we can provide economy. In fact, Blue Economy in general and challenge to uphold the motto and keep the Philosophy of the
Yunnan Province of China. At the same time, we can world has come to a halt with strict lockdowns in place. Due to System (TOS) and in others it is known as Port Chattogram-Colombo route to expedite export. More so, we the billions of US Dollars. better service to all stakeholders. Yet they can keep their FCL Port and Shipping in particular can change the Honourable Prime Minister ‘to strike a balance between life
also provide service to our eastern neighbour our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her able son; the Communicating System (PCS). Chittagong Port allowed Off Docks to store their empty containers in CPA’s yard For instance, the Maersk Line belongs to container cargoes in the port yard for four days free of cost Fate of the Nation. It is like an Ocean of and livelihood’ in mind. We put our motto into practice and
Myanmar. The Chittagong Port has huge prospects if has been automated since 2011. Honourable to facilitate stuffing of goods in export containers at Off Docks. Denmark, a country close to the North Pole succeeded in keeping the maritime trade uninterrupted.
Adviser to Hon'ble PM Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s brilliant initiative to and take delivery. Opportunity.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the We made an imperative that if anybody wants to come into

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