CPA moves to formulate tariffs for Matarbari Port, Bay Terminal

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has initiated the process of formulating tariffs for Cox's Bazar's Matarbari Deep Sea Port and Chattogram's Bay Terminal, two of the country's largest port infrastructure projects.

The authority has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (EoI) to select an international consulting firm that will prepare tariff structures and submit proposals for both ports.

According to the EoI, signed by CPA Chief Finance and Accounts Officer Mohammad Abdus Shakur, the selection will follow the quality- and cost-based method.

Interested firms must submit their experience by 30 September.

"Both the Matarbari Deep Sea Port and the Bay Terminal are expected to be completed and operational by 2029 or 2030. The initiative has been taken so that the tariffs can be finalised well before the ports go into operation," said CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk.

The proposed tariff structure will be based on the cost of providing services, utilities, and facilities, while generating sufficient revenue to cover investment, operating expenses, and capital asset replacement.

It will also aim to ensure efficiency, financial sustainability, and investment attractiveness for both projects.

To qualify, consulting firms must have at least five years' experience in formulating or analysing port tariff structures, and must have worked with ports handling at least 1 million containers annually and general cargo volumes of 5 million tonnes or more.

The Matarbari Deep Sea Port in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar is being financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On 22 April, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman and Penta Ocean Construction Company Ltd General Manager Tomokazu Hasegawa signed an agreement in Dhaka to implement the port's "Package-1" infrastructure.

Under this package, a 300-metre multipurpose jetty and a 460-metre container jetty will be built, along with terminal buildings, pavements, sea walls, retaining walls, land development, dredging, solar power facilities, and other utilities.

Once completed, the port will be able to handle vessels carrying up to 8,200 TEUs, with a draft of 14.5 metres and a length of 300 metres.

Meanwhile, the interim government on 20 April approved a Tk13,500 crore project to develop infrastructure at the Bay Terminal in Chattogram.

The project cost stands at Tk13,525.57 crore, with Tk9,333 crore coming from the World Bank and Tk4,192 crore from government funds.

The Bay Terminal development includes breakwaters, navigation channels, two container terminals, and one multipurpose terminal.

PSA Singapore will invest $1.5 billion to build Container Terminal-1, while DP World will invest a similar amount in Container Terminal-2.

CPA itself will build the multipurpose terminal, for which it signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi Ports Group in May 2024.