Shippers' Council seeks waiver of port surcharge, demurrage charges

The Shippers' Council of Bangladesh (SCB) has called for a waiver of various surcharges, including additional port charges and shipping demurrage charges, which importers have to pay due to delays caused by the student movement demanding quota reform and the government-imposed curfew.

The student movement and curfew have brought the country's import-export activities and industrial factories to a standstill. Chairman of the SCB Md Rezaul Karim said in a press release on Friday that due to not being able to release the goods on time, there has been container jams at off-docks, including airports, sea ports and land ports.

Importers now face various surcharges due to these delays, with thousands of cargo trucks jammed at land ports and traders unable to clear goods. This will increase costs for consumers, the release said. Exporters are also suffering severe financial losses as they are unable to ship goods, according to the release.

The Board of Directors of the SCB expressed their concern in an emergency meeting and strongly demanded that the Prime Minister waive additional port charges, shipping demurrage/detention charges, and other surcharges for one month due to the disruptions caused by the student movement and government-imposed curfew, the release said.

SCB Chairman Khan praised the Prime Minister, noting that in the past, various benefits, including waivers of port charges, were provided to businesses on her instructions during crises such as COVID-19, it added.

The Board of Directors also directed related institutions, including shipping agents, freight forwarders, clearing houses, logistics companies, customs authorities, and the NBR, to strengthen and ensure unhindered import-export activities from their respective positions. They drew the attention of the finance minister, civil aviation and tourism minister, and shipping state minister, the SCB concluded in the release.