The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Chittagong

The Chittagong Port has experienced a considerable improvement including productivity, efficiency and checking corruption after implementation of massive reforms by Army-led joint forces with cooperation of all stakeholders during the last nine months.

Commodore Muhammad Farooq, Chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) stated this at a press briefing yesterday and expressed his firm commitment to keep up the progress and current trend of productivity through bringing drastic changes in old-age and obsolete systems in port operations and regulations.

The chairman at his first press briefing after joining the office to narrate the overall performance of the port in last nine months also expressed his optimism that the port could be elevated into an international standard one in all aspects by next four years if present trend is continued and development projects for capacity building either on implementation stage and awaiting for approval are implemented properly.

"The pace in broader spectrum of operations ushered in the port during the last nine months following series of reforms can be considered as milestone success, particularly in the areas of service standard, efficiency and discipline in the history of the Chittagong Port" the CPA chairman observed.

He said constant vigilance against any sorts of corruption and irregularities, transparent administrative steps for restoring discipline and involvement of private sector in a bigger way at different tiers of port operation have not only escalated the service standard but also helped increase the net income of the port to a significant amount during the period.

According to statistics, the amount of revenue surplus is Taka 368.30 crore in last nine months of current year (Total revenue earning: Tk.682.46 crore) while the revenue surplus was Taka 331.23 crore in the corresponding period of the last year (Total revenue earning: Tk. 608.52 lakh).

The CPA has earned Taka 833.50 crore against the expenditure of Taka 421.65 crore in the fiscal 2006-2007 with a revenue surplus of Taka 411.65 crore while it fetched Taka 741.13 crore against the expenditure of Taka 376.11 crore in the financial year 2005-2006 with a total revenue surplus of Taka 365.2 crore showing a Taka 46 crore more profit during the period of last fiscal.

The target of revenue earning of CPA in the first three months of the current fiscal (July- September-07) has exceeded while the operating expenditures were declined to a great extent during the period.

The CPA has earned Taka 218.34 crore against the targeted Taka 198.81 crore while spending was limited to Taka 114.21 crore against the estimated budget of Taka 130.62 crore.