India-Bangladesh chamber comes up with solutions for port services

The bilateral chamber of India and Bangladesh has come up with solutions of strengthening the land port services for increasing trade between the neighbours.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 May 2017, 02:56 PM
Updated : 15 May 2017, 02:56 PM

A four-member delegation of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) met Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan on Monday and briefed him about the bottlenecks and possible solutions.

They also urged him to take necessary measures to ease the sufferings of the importers and exporters at the earliest.

Chamber Secretary & CEO Jahangir Bin Alam who was part of the delegation told bdnews24.com that the minister assured them of taking necessary steps. “He said he would visit ports personally”.

The land ports are also under the jurisdiction of the sipping ministry.

Alam said the meeting was to bring to minister’s notice the fact that trade between Bangladesh and India is facing difficulties “due to infrastructural and administrative bottlenecks at our land and sea ports”.

“We have highlighted the issues and gave probable solutions to him. We have handed over a copy of our observations,” he said.

IBCCI President Taskeen Ahmed led the delegation. Vice-President Jyotibrata Banerjee, and Chairman of Chamber Sub-Committee on imports-exports Motiar Rahman were the other members accompanying him.

The total bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India in 2015-16 was worth $6.14 billion, mostly Bangladesh’s imports.

Bangladesh exports less than $1 billion as in the last 15 years Bangladesh’s exports to India have grown tenfold. India’s exports to Bangladesh have grown six times.

Most of the trade with India takes place through land ports -- Petrapole–Benapole, Ghoja Danga–Bohmra, Mohadipur–Sona Masjid and Hili.

Petrapole–Benapole is the busiest among them.

But, according to the IBCCI, it takes 15 to 17 days for trucks at Petrapole land customs station to cross over to Bangladesh after the truck reports at Bongaon Municipal Parking at Kalitalla.

There was no effort of infrastructure development at Benapole port in the last 20 years, the IBCCI told the minister in their letter.

The businesses also face shortages of warehouses.

The congestion at the border is leading to shortage of trucks. Truck rental has gone “beyond any imagination”. For 10 kilometre distance, truck rental is Rs.30,000.

They offered both short term and long term solutions.

For example, at Benapole port, as a short-term, they suggested port authority should allow at least 500 trucks per day to cross over to Bangladesh till the congestion in Indian side is not cleared.

National Board of Revenue should request Indian Central Board of Excise and Customs to accord priority movement to all fabric exports at par with perishable items and self driven automobiles.

They also suggested building three kilometer road from new integrated check-post gate to Benapole.

As a long term solutions, they advised world class infrastructure at ports and allowing private warehouses to operate.

They also urged the National Board of Revenue to announce Benapole as a 24X7 working port.

For Mahadipur – Sona Masjid port, which is not congested because only stone chops, cotton, jeera and perishable items are being traded from this port, they suggested building infrastructure similar to Integrated Check Post built by the Indian government at Petrapole.