Staff Reporter :
The government is likely to waive the demurrage charges for businesses that failed to take timely delivery of their imported goods from various ports due to the recent countrywide unrest.
State Minister for Shipping, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, assured this on Thursday, noting the government’s past support during the Covid-19 pandemic when Tk 500 crore of storage rents were waived for businesses unable to take delivery of imported goods.
Chowdhury mentioned, “The government would consider this time also if the importers submit required documents to be eligible to get the waiver. Nothing to be worried in this regard.”
He made these comments during a ceremony organized by the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) for the distribution of food items among jetty workers and poor people at a port jetty.
Since July 17, cargo and container delivery from port yards has gradually come to a halt due to violence related to the quota reform movement, followed by an internet blackout and curfew imposed by the government. The absence of internet and countrywide curfew created container congestion at the port.
On July 22, Chattogram Port was burdened with 42,150 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers, occupying over 79 percent of the port’s storage capacity of 53,118 TEUs. Port officials stated that smooth operations are hampered when containers occupy over 60 percent of the storage capacity.
In the last five to six days, businesses have been unable to take delivery of their imported cargoes from the port yards, resulting in additional storage rents payable to the CPA. Usually, there is no storage rent for the first four days. For a 20-foot loaded container, the port charges $6 per day in the first week after the free days, $12 per day in the second week, and $24 per day from the 19th day up to delivery. For a 40-foot container, the charges are double.
