Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) asked the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to allow releasing the imported goods from the Chittagong Port instead of private inland container depots (ICDs) to reduce time and cost.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said currently it takes around six to seven days to take delivery of imported consignments from the private ICDs as compared to only two days at the port, which increases cost of releasing goods.
BGMEA President, Rear Admiral M Shahjahan discussed about this on Tuesday, a press release said.
The private ICD operators are charging higher fees and taking more time than the Chittagong Port for releasing the goods.
BGMEA President expressed hope that RMG exports would increase in the coming months and urged the port authority to plan ahead and take steps accordingly to enhance the capacity and efficiency of Chittagong Port so that they can handle the increased pressure of export-import smoothly.
BGMEA First Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam urged the Chittagong Port Authority to make export-import activities quicker and timely to retain the competitiveness of Bangladesh apparel industry in the global market during this difficult time of Covid pandemic.
CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said the RMG industry has been making enormous contribution to the economic development of Bangladesh and Chittagong Port Authority is carrying out export-import activities quickly and efficiently despite having different limitations.