Private company Saif Powertec Limited takes over the charge of the entire container handling activities at CCT from today and it will conduct the task in the first phase on test basis, said a circular issued by Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) yesterday.

Earlier a high-level meeting of a task force formed by local joint forces took the decision to improve the port operation by bringing in a series of reforms that would reduce the cargo handling cost and improve the image of the port abroad, sources said.

In case of ships coming from March 5, the plans for container lashing, unlashing, discharging and loading, report writing and all ship related works would be done by the Saif Powertec Limited, said the CPA circular.

Preserving of containers at the back yard, container tracking and all other activities will also be done by the same company, the circular said, adding that the company will be responsible for completing all the above jobs until further order.

"Trade, the business community as well as the whole nation will benefit from the decision as it will remove the obstacles in cargo handling at the port," said Amirul Haque, chairman of port and ship standing committees of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and industry.

Terming the decision a 'milestone step' after 35 years of independence, Haque said, "We hope that many such reforms will be brought at the port for removing the remaining obstacles."

A series of reforms will be implemented at the port for reducing the underhand expenditure at the port, said sources of the joint forces.

As per the new decision, the total charge of a container handling at the port would be Tk 1200 only.

Earlier, around Tk 4,000-5,000 had to be spent on different segments for handling a container at the port. The system of charging $ 200-400 against per container as Rate Restoration Charge by the shipping agents to the port users has also been cancelled.

As part of the reform programme, a three shift working system instead of two shifts earlier has been introduced to accelerate the port activities, the source added.

In August last year, Saif Powertec Limited was given the charge of handling four sophisticated gantry cranes at the port.

Now the private company will, in addition to the four gantry cranes, operate eight rubber tyre gantry cranes, 14 tractor trailers, movers and reach the container up to the delivery yard

As it will make stevedoring services in the port unnecessary, around Tk 100 crore government money will be saved in a year that had to be paid as shore handling charges to around 53 stevedoring agents.

The company may charge additional fees for performing additional duties and the businessmen would be relieved from paying kickbacks at different points.

The decision will stop 'unofficial' expenditure by the port users and this one-stop service would improve the image of the country's premier port, said a high official of the Ministry of Shipping.

The traditional stevedoring system that is mainly responsible for supplying dockworkers and labourers for handling containers has already been dissolved in many modern ports with introduction of automatic container handling system.