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C&F agents go on strike in Chittagong

Exporters fear impact on shipments through port

Dwaipayan Barua, ctg
The duty assessment of shipments came to a standstill at Chittagong Customs House yesterday after clearing and forwarding agents went on strike, protesting a new container delivery rule set by the authorities.
The stalemate, which continued throughout the day, stemmed from a notice issued by Chittagong Customs House on March 27 that made
it mandatory for C&F agents to clear all containers in one consignment together, not separately, from the customs.
According to customs officials, if the containers in the same consignment are cleared separately, it leaves scope for irregularity.
The C&F agents threatened to continue their strike if the order was not retracted immediately.
The agents did not submit bill-of-entry documents against exports
and imports yesterday. They also barred other agents and staff from submitting documents.
Calling the notice impractical, leaders of the Chittagong Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association and other C&F agents abandoned work. They also demonstrated and barricaded the entrance of the Chittagong Customs House building from around 12:30pm. Altaf Hossain Bachchu, general secretary of the association, said sometimes up to 50 containers are imported in the same consignment, and it is quite impossible to get delivery of all the containers at a time, as not many private container carriers are available.
Additional Commissioner of Chittagong Customs House Motiur Rahman said the order was issued in line with the Customs Act.
He said the customs authorities issued the notice to prevent any anomaly in container delivery.
The authorities often fail to take action against C&F agents or importers for irregularities in one or two containers in the same consignment, if most other containers have already been delivered,
Rahman said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association expressed deep concerns over the work abstention by the C&F agents.
In a statement, the associations urged the government to take measures immediately for smooth operations of the port so that exports are not hampered.
The delay in shipment of apparel goods is not acceptable at all, especially when the garment industry is struggling to make profit due to inadequate supply of gas and power to the industrial units, they said.
A member of the National Board of Revenue from Dhaka is scheduled to arrive today to help solve the problem.