ICDs now hike container handling charge by 25pc

Private inland container depots (ICDs) have raised charges for their services involving handling export-laden containers by 25 per cent citing the August 5 hike in fuel prices. 

The change was decided upon by Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (Bicda) and Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA) at the latter's Dhaka office yesterday.

The rise will have a retrospective effect, applicable for services availed since August 6, the day the new fuel prices came into effect.

Bicda earlier said charges for five types of services which required the use of diesel, such as vehicular and equipment operations, needed to be adjusted for the price of each litre of the fuel being increased to Tk 114 from Tk 80.

Afterwards, it unilaterally raised an import container handling charge by 34 per cent.

On Thursday, Bicda sat with Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association to raise an empty container handling charge by 24 per cent.

Handling export containers involve an export stuffing package and verifying gross mass, said BICDA Secretary General Md Ruhul Amin Sikder.

The package involves taking an empty container from a depot yard to its container freight station (CFS), loading goods into the container, taking the loaded container back to the depot yard and transporting it later to the Chattogram port for shipment.

The package charge has been raised from Tk 5,092 to Tk 6,365 for 20-foot containers and from Tk 6,790 to Tk 8,488 for 40-foot containers.

The charge for verifying the gross mass was raised by Tk 354 to Tk 1,769.

Freight forwarders usually pay these charges on behalf of international buyers.

The Bicda secretary general, however, pointed out that the charges were the maximum an ICD could impose as many individually charge lesser under deals with buyers.

The ICD owners wanted to raise both charges by 45 per cent but the Bicda leaders agreed to 25 per cent considering the huge rise in costs and current economic situation, said BAFFA Vice President Khairul Alam Sujan.