Govt turns to vessel owners as virus rattles supply chain

The government has urged ship owners to extend help in continuing transportation of essential commodities and other cargos during the shutdown, spurred by COVID-19 pandemic.

State minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury made the request at a meeting with cargo and container vessel owners on Wednesday at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The meeting was convened to discuss the disruption to the supply chain system during the shutdown period, which has created not only a shortage of goods, but also enhanced their prices to some extent.

The disruption has in turn created congestion in the country’s prime seaport of Chittagong.

In the meeting, vessel owners said in many cases, they cannot unload goods from ships due to the dearth of labourers at the river ports.

They said during the shutdown period, police have restricted the movement of labourers, for which vessels need to wait at the ports for days.

They also said the customs authority was not extending the cooperation needed.

In the meeting, they also requested the minister to offer incentives for the vessel owners.

The minister urged all concerned to cooperate so that the supply chain can be uninterrupted.

He also urged the vessel owners to ensure the health safety of labourers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice-president of the Container Vessels Owners’ Association SK Mahfuz Hamid told the FE most of the port and jetties got clogged with containers and cargos during the shutdown period. The shutdown has been extended until May 5.

He said the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal has also become full of containers now as the importers are not taking the delivery.

Besides, the law enforcement agencies are not allowing containers transportation by road.

Mr Hamid said they are now asking them to carry containers from Chittagong to the inland water terminal of Summit Alliance Port Limited, located near Muktarpur in Munshiganj district.

“Everyone needs to cooperate to keep the supply system intact,” he said.

Shipping secretary Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury, director general of the Department of Shipping Syed Ariful Islam, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Golam Sadeq, and president of the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners’ Association Iqbal Hossain attended the meeting, among others.
Source: The Financial Express