The Chittagong Port Authority is in trouble with air-conditioned refrigerated reefer containers loaded with extra frozen goods. There are piles of reefer container in the port yard and more on the ship waiting to be unloaded.
The port authorities are failing to release these containers despite various pressures. This time it has been decided that if the reefer container is not released within the stipulated time, the penalty will be 4 times more than the stipulated penalty. This decision was effective from Saturday.
According to Chittagong port sources, piles of frozen imported cargo air-conditioned refrigerated reefer containers are piled up at Chittagong port.
The reefer container is a large type of deep freezer. These containers are used to transport temperature controlled products such as fruits, ginger, fish, meat, vegetables, field especially onions, milk, flowers and pharmaceuticals items.
These containers are placed on the ship with electrical connection after lifting. Port authorities keep the refrigerated container electrically connected to keep the goods inside fresh until they are unloaded after landing at the port.
But some importers are using the port as their godown instead of unloading these reefer containers quickly. There is no space left in the port to keep reefer containers and there are no empty plug points to provide electrical connection to these containers.
As a result, more than 500 reefer containers are waiting to be unloaded at the port. If the plug point is empty, the port authority will allow the reefer container to unload from the ship.
Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Md. Omar Faruq said that the port authorities are struggling with the pressure of additional refinery containers. As the importers did not unload these containers on various pretexts, there is no place to keep the reefer container in the port.
The port yard has 1600 electrical plug points for storing reefer containers. Through which up to 2600 TEUs can be kept with the reference container connection. At present in Chittagong port this number has increased by several hundred and electricity connection is being provided by rationing in containers, he added.
He said that even though the Corona situation has waived various incentives and stores for unloading all kinds of imported goods including reefer containers, the raw material importers are not unloading their reefer container quickly.
Although the unloading of general goods laden containers has increased with the opportunity of store rent waiver, the unloading of refrigerated containers has not increased in comparison. The penalty rent was increased 4 times after the scheduled time of unloading at the port of reefer Container from Saturday.
He also said the decision was taken to put pressure on importers to unload the containers. Importers who will not unload their container, the port authorities will auction the containers after the stipulated time.