Cargo Business Newswire

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Importers say Chittagong Port operators charge additional fees

Importers are alleging that operators, shipping agents and freight forwarders are extorting additional fees from them during delivery of containers at the Chittagong Port in Bangladesh.

The importers at a meeting in the port city objected to the "illegal charges," and the situation prompted business leaders to form a monitoring body to solve the issue. The Port Users Forum, a platform of Chittagong Port's stakeholders, organized the meeting with its Chairman Mahbubul Alam in the chair.

Alam blamed freight forwarders for collecting additional charges such as a delivery order charge and destination service charge, violating directions from the National Board of Revenue.

"Besides, different shipping agents and main line operators are collecting varying rates of documentation fees, cleaning fees and administrative fees, which should be uniform," said Alam, also the president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The shipping agents are randomly charging importers for cleaning services, even though not all containers carry perishables," said Quazi Mahmud Imam Bilu, first joint general secretary of Chittagong Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association.

For more of The Daily Star story: www.thedailystar.net