The all-important Chittagong Port — more than 80 per cent of export and import cargoes are transported through Chittagong Port — is getting choked with increasing number of containers as there is a spurt in imports ahead of the Ramadan.
This was mentioned in recent media reports which maintained that the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) earlier on 25 February had requested importers to take their goods away fast even as it was apprehending congestion in the coming days while also underlining that storage charges will otherwise be doubled from the 12th day of containers being unloaded from vessels.
However, if reports are to be believed, this apparently had no visible impact, subsequent to which the CPA has, reportedly, decided to bring in the rate change from 8 March.
According to the CPA Secretary Md. Omar Faruk, slow deliveries were, reportedly, causing a rise in the number of containers at the port even as reports claimed that situation started deteriorating since early February when the port experienced a massive influx of imports.
However, businessmen, reportedly, held that doubling the rents will not solve the problem, but rather may affect prices.
