Imported perishable foods worth over a staggering Tk 80 crore were spoiled or exceeded expiration date for consumption in the last fourteen months due to inefficient auctioning mechanism of unclaimed containers at Chittagong Port.

The huge quantity of food items had to be disposed of at a time when a huge segment of the populace is trying to cope with galloping food prices.

Last year in February. 1,268 truckloads of expired imported foods worth more than Tk 70 crore were destroyed by a taskforce. Another Tk 10 crore worth of inedible food were destroyed recently, said sources in the taskforce

A large number of containers remain unclaimed inside the port

as a section of unscrupulous importers leave their containers inside the port unclaimed deliberately, said sources.

These importers prefer to leave their containers in the port as warehouse charges outside the port are more than the fines imposed by the port authorities for not collecting the containers after the permissible free period is over, the sources added saying that the unclaimed goods also help the importers create an artificial crisis in the market

According to existing rules of the port, if a container is unclaimed for over 30 days, perishable items in it have ter be-auctioned off to make room inside the port. The customs authorities are to put the items in the container on auction after the port authorities hand them over a list of undelivered containers.

However, after the 30-day period is over, failure to swiftly auction off the perishable food items causes the foods to either spoil or exceed the date of safe consumption.

A complicated auction procedure coupled with lack of adequate trained human resources and absence of coordination among the government authorities concerned arc to blame for the huge waste of the valuable commodities, observed experts.

The failure in conducting the auctions is also causing the government to incur a huge loss in potential revenues, they said.

Containers being held up for a long time by the Bangladeshi importers is also causing heavy losses to foreign shipping lines and as a result, many foreign shipping lines are now reluctant in renting out their containers to Bangladeshi importers, said a few importers adding that the situation is hurting the country's image.

The situation would not turn so bad if a few commercial banks did not entertain the dishonest practice of 'under or over-invoicing' when opening letters of credit (LC) for importing goods, alleged an importer.

Goods imported through unethical means are often left unclaimed at the port, the importer also said.

However, a few importers denied deliberate delays in claiming their goods at the port and claimed that the unavailability of warehouses suitable for preserving perishable food items is the main reason behind their delays in claim.

Margub Ahmed, commissioner (export) of Chittagong Customs Authority, said, "In most of the cases, the dates of perishable items get expired or these items get damaged before being put on auctions due to the delays caused by writ petitions filed by importers."

Sometimes the delay in handing over the removal list by the port authorities results in delays in the auction process, he added.

However, he did not want to blame the port authorities as they have only one person to prepare the removal list

S K Gosh, senior vice chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA), said, thedelayin auction and the long process of container clearance at Chinagong Port causes a loss of around Tk 1 lakh on each container.

When a container is held up at a port for a year, a shipping line on average incurs a loss of $1,095 in rentals, he said adding that on top of that, a shipping agent now spends around Ik 1,000 to dispose of the expired food items from each unclaimed container

Urging the authorities concerned to simplify the auctioning process, he thanked the joint forces for taking the initiative to clear the containers from the Chittagong Port. Otherwise, they would have to spend between Tk 20,000 and Tk 25,000 on goods disposal from each container, he said.