The tender to procure equipment for the New Mooring Container Terminal of the Chittagong port will be floated by next month, as the terminal is expected to be operational within the next one and a half years, the port authority chief said.
Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed, chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), made the comment yesterday while exchanging views with reporters on the occasion of the 127th anniversary of the port. He added that the prime minister has approved the CPA’s proposal of procuring equipment worth around Tk1,300 crore.
Nizamuddin said five foreign and local companies had responded to a previous tender that invited operators for setting up equipment and running the terminal, but the procedure could not be completed because of a case filed with the court.
“Now we have decided to set up the equipment on our own and appoint operators for just running the terminal,” he added.
According to CPA sources, the Tk582 crore project was initiated in December 2007, and the tender invitation for appointing an operator was made in August 2008.
The one-kilometre long terminal with five jetties will have the capacity to handle 13 lakh TEUs (twenty equivalent units) of containers, while the port can currently handle 18 lakh TEUs of containers each year.
Regarding the capital dredging of the river Karnaphuli, which is the lifeline of the port, the CPA chairman said 79% of the work on the project has been completed, but liquidity demurrage has been slapped on the contractor concerned since the time spent on project implementation was not satisfactory.
“We have sought approval from the ministry to cancel the agreement with the contractor as they will not be able to implement the project within the revised timeframe,” he added.
The CPA chairman also briefed journalists about 13 ongoing projects at the port, as well as plans of taking on nine fresh projects for the development of the prime sea port.
Among others, Mohammed Alauddin, additional secretary to Shipping Ministry, Commodore Mohammed Shahajahan, member (harbour and marine) of the CPA, and departmental chiefs of the port were present at the programme.
