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CPA rebuffs TIB report on graft

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) yesterday rejected the study report of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on unbridled corruption and irregularities at the country's premier seaport as 'untrue', 'fabricated', 'exaggerated', 'confusing' and 'malicious'.
"We strongly reject the TIB report, which is full of misconceptions, wrong information, confusing statistics, heavy exaggerations and falsifications," CPA Chairman AMM Shahadat Hossain told a press briefing at the Port Rest House yesterday morning.
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The report, "we guess, was done at the behest of some quarters with vested interest in privatisation of Chittagong Port," he added.
At the briefing Nurullah Bahar, a leader of the port's collective bargaining agent (CBA), threatened to sue the Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based governance watchdog and demanded unconditional apology from it for what he said was damaging the image of port workers.
"I will definitely go for legal action and file at least two to three cases against the TIB for its derogatory report against my workers," said Bahar, also a leader of the workers' wing of ruling BNP, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal.
The TIB in a stunning revelation Tuesday last said the port and customs officials at Chittagong Port exact about Tk 783 crore from importers and exporters in bribes and tips a year.
The report on a yearlong 'Diagnostic Study: Chittagong Port' conducted from July 2003 to June 2004 also found berthing of a vessel here requires filling of as many as 42 forms, six times that at Malaysia's Penang Port.
But the CPA chief said, "In fact, importers and exporters need to fill but two [for inward and outward shifting of vessel] forms where they are asked to provide 42 information -divided into two groups of 23 and 19 each. The TIB in this case misinterpreted that 42 information as 42 forms."
"The report has many such exaggerations, which have damaged the image of Chittagong Port as well as that of the country," he said.
According to Shahadat, "The design of the vested quarters behind such exaggerations or smear campaign is apparent in the recommendations of the TIB report. They want the port to be handed over to a trustee or privatise it to pave the way for Stevedoring Services America (SSA) or such companies taking it over."
Building on this hypothesis, the CPA chairman said, "Once the economy comes under control, the country is too. And Chittagong Port is the easiest tool to hold sway over the country's economy."
He said some of the blames that the TIB has dumped on the CPA resulted from confusion, for many irregularities or activities including those of the customs, clearing and forwarding agents, stevedores etc do not fall within its jurisdiction.
Shahadat, however, admitted some loopholes present in the overall operations of the port, "We don't claim to be angels. We do have some faults but the exaggerations by the TIB go beyond limits and reality."
He said the port authorities are mulling over some massive changes in the existing operating system to raise the port's capacity, competence and performance so that it can achieve a competitive edge over its counterparts across the globe.
"Some of the changes are already being taking place so that no body can term us inefficient in the future," he added.
Other top CPA officials present at the briefing followed the chairman's suit in taking swipe at the TIB report.
CPA Member (Operations) Kamrul Islam decried the report as an on-going hate campaign out of petty personal interests, "They have long been doing it to prove the port as a failed one."