Sea Maritime Services 'illegally' collecting tolls at Ctg port's jetty for 9 months

Highlights: 

• The Chattogram Port Authority is at risk of losing about Tk1.10 crore in revenue annually.
• The jetty, built mainly for the commuting of lighter vessel workers, was leased to Sea Maritime Services initially for one year from 1 January 2022. 
• But in the face of protests, the CPA on 11 November, less than two months before the expiry of the initial lease tenure, halted collection of toll at a rate of Tk10 from lighter vessel workers for an indefinite period. 
• Against this backdrop, the lessee, instead of paying the lease money for the current year, is now requesting the reimbursement of the lease payments of last year.

For the past nine months, Sea Maritime Services has been collecting tolls at Chattogram Port's Charpara Pontoon Jetty without having renewed its lease.

As a result, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) is at risk of losing about Tk1.10 crore in revenue annually.

The jetty, built mainly for the commuting of lighter vessel workers, was leased to Sea Maritime Services initially for one year, starting 1 January 2022.

But in the face of protests, the CPA on 11 November, less than two months before the expiry of the initial lease tenure, halted toll collection at a rate of Tk10 from lighter vessel workers for an indefinite period.

Against this backdrop, the lessee, instead of paying the lease money for the current year, is now requesting reimbursement of the lease payments.

Lighter vessel workers have accused the lessee of collecting tolls from passenger boats, commonly referred to as sampans, which has resulted in workers being compelled to pay double the regular fare while commuting. 

Now they want the permanent cancellation of the Charpara Jetty lease.

Noujan Sramik Federation Central Committee Joint Secretary Nabi Alam told The Business Standard that although toll collection from workers has been officially stopped, the lessee is still collecting tolls from sampans. As a result, workers have to pay an additional fare.

The Chattogram Port Authority pointed out that the lessee used to impose a charge of Tk100 per passenger boat and varied amounts for goods, determined according to the weight of the products.

A sampan ferryman engaged in ferrying passengers at the Charpara jetty said about 50 sampans ply with passengers from the jetty every day. Each sampan carries a maximum of 12 passengers, and each of the boats makes three to four trips.

The port authorities say, apart from lighter vessel workers, the jetty is used by surveyors, officials of customs and various agencies, merchant ship officials, shipping agent representatives, law enforcement officers, and tourists.

According to the CPA, 32 ship handling operators are engaged in unloading goods from mother vessels to lighter vessels on the outer anchorage of Chattogram port. About 2,500 workers work in this sector. They also use the Charpara pontoon jetty to come and go in mother vessels and lighter vessels. The lessee has no barrier to collecting a toll from them.

The CPA pointed out that a demand notice for the payment of the lease money for 2023 will be issued.

CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk said according to the contract, the tender should be renewed every year and the fee paid. But the lessee did not pay the amount for 2023.

"A demand notice for payment of lease money for 2023 will be issued soon. In case of non-payment of Tk1.10 crore by 2023, Sea Maritime Services' lease will be cancelled and fresh tenders for the jetty will be invited," he added.

In case of non-payment of Tk1.10 crore in 2023, action will be taken under the rules regarding the lease of Sea Maritime Services, the secretary told TBS.

In a letter recently sent to the CPA, Sea Maritime Services requested the cancellation of the lease and the return of Tk1.29 crore paid for 2022, including VAT and taxes. The lessee said that it suffered financially as the CPA did not make any decision even after halting toll collection from lighter vessel workers in November last year.

Sea Maritime Services Proprietor Jaydev Chandra Roy told TBS, "The Chattogram Port Authority has not cancelled our lease yet. If any untoward incident happens at the jetty, our people remain there on duty. Now we do not collect any money from passengers. As we are not able to collect the toll from the jetty, we have asked the port authority to refund the lease amount."

According to data from the Water Transport Cell, which manages lighter vessels, about 3,000 lighter vessels transport goods from the Chattogram port outer anchorage. About 600 ships are anchored upstream of the Patenga and Karnaphuli rivers. About 7,200 labourers work on lighter vessels.