CPA asks MLOs not to charge excessive fees on containers

The mainline operators (MLOs), who carry containers to and from Bangladeshi ports, have been asked not to realise charges on importers violating regulations of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), sources said.

Importers allege that shipping agents, on behalf of the vessel owners, realise fees at their will in the name of miscellaneous charges.

The CPA recently issued a notification asking the MLOs and their agents to follow its regulations.

CPA director (Traffic) Enamul Karim told the FE the MLOs charge demurrage on containers without following regulations on 'common landing date'.

The CPA's regulation on common landing date mentioned that demurrage will be calculated from the time of landing of very last container of a vessel in the port yard.

However, some MLO's and shipping agents calculate demurrage from the time of very first container of a vessel lands in the yard.

Sources said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) recently asked the port authority to hold meeting with the shipping agents and importers for resolving the disagreement over realising charges.

The port authority held a meeting on Monday where importers, shipping agents and other stakeholders were present.

After a threadbare discussion it was decided that president of Chittagong Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Mahbubul Alam will convene a stakeholders meeting to set the charges which will be accepted by all.

Mr Alam told the FE Tuesday the MLOs and shipping agents would not be allowed to realise 'unauthorised' charges.

The shipping agents agreed at Monday's meeting that they would follow the regulations on common landing date, he said.

However, contacted over telephone Tuesday Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association president Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury told the FE actually the mainline operators fix the charges and the shipping agents collect the fees on their behalf.

He said had the Ministry of Shipping (MoS), as the regulatory body in this sector, fixed the charges and issued notifications, it would have been accepted by all stakeholders.

The customs authority can be empowered to take actions if anyone does not follow the order, Mr Chowdhury said.

The charges on which there is disagreement between shipping agents and importers include: cleaning charge, documentation fee, survey fee, common landing date.

Country's prime seaport -- Chittagong port -- handled some 2.9 million TEU of containers against 2.56 million TEU in 2017 and registered 9.0 per cent growth.

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