The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has increased store rent for chemical and hazardous goods at the Chittagong Port, effective 1 April 2021.
This was underlined in media reports, which maintained the CPA in a circular issued on 31 March 2021 (Wednesday), reportedly, raised the store rent by four times the regular rate in an effort to enhance safety and security of the port from explosion, fire and other possible risks that could happen from storage of such goods.
Citing some CPA officials in this direction, one of the reports stated that the port authority made the decision effective from 1 April as the situation, reportedly, did not improve much despite the alerts and some other measures that have been undertaken to expedite delivery of such goods while also avoid storing of chemicals and other hazardous goods in the port.
It may be mentioned here that Chittagong Port accounts for bulk of Bangladesh’s exports and imports including the all-important apparel shipments and any mishap, apart from posing risk to life and property, could jeopardise the import/export activity significantly.
Media reports further claimed that decision to increase the store rent for chemical and hazardous goods — the new store rent will stand at US$ 24 a day in the first week after the expiry of a four-day free storage time for a 20-feet equivalent container, US$ 48/day for the following two weeks and US$ 96/day after the third week even as the regular storage rent is US$ 6 a day for the first week after the free period, US$ 12/day for the following two weeks and US$ 24/day after the third week — was made as per the Article 160 of the Regulations for Working of Chittagong Port (Cargo and Container)-2001.
