STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg

The Chattogram Port Users Forum has urged the chief adviser of the interim government to reconsider the implementation of the newly approved port tariff, warning that the sharp increase would severely impact the country’s economy, including imports and exports.

In a letter sent to the chief adviser yesterday, Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, the forum’s convener, said the 41 percent tariff hike would push up the cost of imported essential commodities such as fuel, wheat, fertiliser, and industrial raw materials.

It will also hurt exporters’ competitiveness in global markets, he said.

“When the previous tariff structure was introduced in 1986, the dollar exchange rate was Tk 30.61. Now it has surpassed Tk 122, meaning existing tariffs have already increased more than fourfold in taka terms,” the letter stated.

It added that port service fees, handling charges, pilotage, and demurrage rates have already been raised multiple times over the years.

The forum emphasised that the Chattogram port is a public service entity, not a profit-driven commercial organisation.

Despite financing its own modernisation and expansion, the port maintains a large reserve fund, it said, questioning the rationale for further tariff escalation.

“The port plays a vital role in transporting the country’s energy, food grains, raw materials, and consumer goods,” it added.

“A sudden rise in charges will erode the confidence of international partners and may label Chattogram as a costly and uncertain destination,” the letter warned.

The forum said the increase would have several negative consequences, including a It It