Ctg port: Body formed to stop 'NOC trade' by declaring agents

In an effort to prevent bribery allegedly by the declaring agents at Chattogram port's outer anchorage in the process of no objection certificate (NOC) issuance for mother vessels with imports, the Bangladesh Shipping Association has formed a 12-member standing committee.

The association announced the committee at a meeting at its office today with relevant stakeholders. The director of the association, Md Shazzadur Rahman, has been made the committee's convener. It has six members from the shipping agents' association and six others from relevant agents.

Syed Mohammad Arif, chairman of the association, said the initiative has been taken upon receiving complaints from foreign shipping agents regarding bribery.

"There is no scope to collect money while issuing NOCs. We have received a few complaints in this regard. In view of this, we sat in a meeting with the organisations concerned on Wednesday," he told The Business Standard.

"The initiative has been taken to settle the dispute centring on NOCs to restore order in the shipping sector

"The 12-member standing committee will soon start working," he added.

Upon anchoring at Chattogram with imports, ships require services such as crew change, fresh water supply, provision (food supply), and repair equipment. The Owners Protecting Agent carries out these activities with the permission of the government shipping office and Customs. 

To access the services, the letter issued by the Owner Protecting Agent must include a no objection recommendation from the Declaring Agent.

There are allegations that to issue the recommendation, the declaring agents demand money ranging from Tk50,000 to Tk5 lakh depending on the nature of the work. Otherwise, complications arise involving an acquisition of the clearance.

In order to resolve these issues, several owners' protection agents submitted written complaints to the Shipping Agents Association. 

According to Owners Protecting Agents, around 80% of open cargo ships coming to Chattogram port are subjected to such harassment.

Every year, around 4,000 commercial ships anchor at Chattogram port, of which 45% are bulk carriers. As such, the port receives around 1,800 bulk carriers annually, meaning more than 1,400 Owners Protecting Agents are harassed to get NOC every year, they said.

Owners Protecting Agents are ship agents appointed by ship owners to protect their interests when there is a different declaring agent for the ship who has been nominated by the charterers due to the preference of the importers or consignees.