PAKISTAN's National Board of Revenue has issued a gazette notification saying that importers are now permitted to transport their imported goods - meant to be sent to Dhaka's Kamalapur Inland Container Deport (ICD) from Chittagong port - via waterways to Pangaon Internal Container Terminal (PICT) located at Keraniganj, on the outskirts of the capital.
The decision by NBR to allow the transport of imported goods from Chittagong port to Dhaka by river routes instead of rail freight is intended to ease the ongoing severe container congestion at Bangladesh's top sea port.
Currently, some importers bring in their goods through Chittagong port and release their products from there, while many others release their products at Kamalapur ICD as the port authorities send the goods there via rail freight. Alternatively, some importers bring in imported goods by river and release the cargo at PICT, reported Dhaka's Newage Business.
Customs will now be able conduct assessments of imported goods, destined for Kamalapur ICD, at the PICT and importers can collect their goods from there.
Customs officials said that 2,000-3,000 Kamalapur ICD-bound containers had remained stuck at Chittagong port due to the suspension of rail freight transportation during cyclone Fani and Eid-ul-Fitr in early May and early June respectively, causing severe congestion at Chittagong port.
Possible suspension of rail transportation during the upcoming Eid-ul-Ahza scheduled to be celebrated on August 12 may worsen the situation creating fresh congestion at the port, they warned.
The rail authorities also lack trains to carry additional containers, while the importers are incurring huge demurrages due to the delay in the delivery of goods.
There is capacity to 800 TEU of ICD-bound containers at Chittagong port. Every day three trains bound to the ICD leave Chittagong, carrying on average 130 x 20-foot standard units (TEU).
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The decision by NBR to allow the transport of imported goods from Chittagong port to Dhaka by river routes instead of rail freight is intended to ease the ongoing severe container congestion at Bangladesh's top sea port.
Currently, some importers bring in their goods through Chittagong port and release their products from there, while many others release their products at Kamalapur ICD as the port authorities send the goods there via rail freight. Alternatively, some importers bring in imported goods by river and release the cargo at PICT, reported Dhaka's Newage Business.
Customs will now be able conduct assessments of imported goods, destined for Kamalapur ICD, at the PICT and importers can collect their goods from there.
Customs officials said that 2,000-3,000 Kamalapur ICD-bound containers had remained stuck at Chittagong port due to the suspension of rail freight transportation during cyclone Fani and Eid-ul-Fitr in early May and early June respectively, causing severe congestion at Chittagong port.
Possible suspension of rail transportation during the upcoming Eid-ul-Ahza scheduled to be celebrated on August 12 may worsen the situation creating fresh congestion at the port, they warned.
The rail authorities also lack trains to carry additional containers, while the importers are incurring huge demurrages due to the delay in the delivery of goods.
There is capacity to 800 TEU of ICD-bound containers at Chittagong port. Every day three trains bound to the ICD leave Chittagong, carrying on average 130 x 20-foot standard units (TEU).
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