The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will surrender the operational activities of both the container terminals and general cargo berths (GCB) to the private sector to fulfill the condition of the World Bank to get a loan of US$134 million under Export Infrastructure Development Project (EIDP) of Bangladesh Railway.

According to Railway sources, the Government has submitted a project styled "Export Infrastructure Development Project (EIDP) to the World Bank to get a loan of $134 million for well-equipping the Bangladesh Railway.

After getting the proposal from Bangladesh, the World Bank conditioned that the Bank would provide loan, if the authority would hand over the operational activities of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to private sector.

Under EIDP, the Government will establish a depot styled Gherashram Inland Container Depots at Pubail in Gazipur. Besides, the authorities will also install double track lines from Chittagong to Faujdarhat, construct two separate fly-overs at Gherashram at Pubail and Chittagong Saltgola.

The authority will buy 102 Container Flag Wagons, four Break-Vans and 10 Locomotives under the project.

The Railway authority was expected to get $1.50 million within two months for Technical-assistance Project Performance (TPP) to implement the project.

"After getting the money, we shall start our detail study plan," said a high official of the railway department.

He added, "I do not understand why the Government wants to implement the project with the support of the World Bank, which has a high interest rate."

"If the government would implement the project with the loan from the WB, we will pay 25 per cent interest out of $134 million to the WB," he further said.

After starting of the operational activities by the private sector, the port authority would act as a regulatory body to take care of maintenance, management and development of the port.

CPA Chairman Commodore M Farooq said this while exchanging views with journalists at a meeting at Chittagong Port Training Centre on the occasion of the 121st founding anniversary of the port on April 26.

The ongoing reforms helped CPA bring down the turnaround time of vessels at the port to 2.42 days, Farooq said.

The chairman also said the authorities will appoint contractor through open tender for integrated operation at Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) and CCT extension area (interim area of New Mooring Container Terminal - NCT). Presently, private operator Saif Powertec Ltd is carrying out the handling operations at CCT and in its extension areas under a contractual appointment that will expire on August 6, he said.

A tender has already been floated on April 25 for appointing the contractor for a period of seven years against a security of Tk 6 crore, he mentioned.

To ensure transparency in the bidding process, CPA is holding a pre-bid meeting on May 7 or May 8 for the intended bidders before the tender opens on May 22, the CPA chairman said, adding that the meeting will remain open to media.

While talking with the New Nation, Anhar Mahmud, Chief Planning Office of the Bangladesh Railway said, "We shall hopefully start the project within two month after final approval of the Communication and Planning Ministry."

"The Railway will appoint a consultant firm to make detail study plan of the project next fiscal," Anhar added.