Highlights:
- ICD at NSEZ to simplify customs, tempo up cargo clearance
- GAS1 Ltd aims to launch ICD operations in July 2025
- 25 acres allocated for GAS1 Ltd’s ICD challenge at NSEZ
- 90% of allocated land has already been developed
- The ICD will obtain skill to take care of 204,000 TEUs every year
GAS1 Ltd is building an Inland Container Depot (ICD) at the Nationwide Particular Financial Zone (NSEZ) in Mirsarai, Chattogram, with an investment of Tk300 crore, aiming to simplify the customs process and tempo up cargo clearance.
The Bangladesh Financial Zones Authority (Beza) has allocated 25 acres of land for the challenge, and the corporate has already developed 90% of the land.
GAS1 Ltd is a partner company of InnStar, a main true estate and construction company in Bangladesh, specializing in residential and commercial projects.
InnStar Director SNR Tawfiq immediate TBS, “We’ve got got invested around Tk40 crore in the model of the ICD up to now. Our purpose is to launch operations in July 2025. Authorities agencies, alongside with customs, will present products and companies here. We can produce the infrastructure and equip the potential with up to date machinery for container going thru.”
ICDs objective to expand export substitute, simplify import procedures, and staunch government revenue. Currently, there are 19 ICDs in Bangladesh.
The Nationwide Particular Financial Zone (NSEZ), the supreme financial zone in the nation, spans around 33,000 acres all over the Sitakunda, Mirsharai, and Sonagazi upazilas of Chattogram and Feni. It’s being developed below a master understanding by the BEZA.
In accordance to Beza sources, virtually 12 companies are already in production inner NSEZ. As soon as the non-public ICD is performed, it will probably well per chance profit the companies inner the zone. Additionally, companies beginning air the commercial zone will additionally be in a local to make exhaust of the facilities.
Sources mark that inner the next 5 years, around 17,000 acres of land in NSEZ will be fully ready for investors, with all obligatory facilities equipped. The challenge will be performed in three phases over two decades, and when fully operational, it is anticipated to accumulate employment for approximately 15 lakh folk.
SNR Tawfiq acknowledged, “We can present logistics products and companies for import and export cargo going thru. When exported items are handed over to us, we can full the customs formalities and cargo them onto the ship. In an analogous model, when imported items come, the containers will fight thru customs procedures here after which be cleared for provide.”
He extra talked about, “The skill of the ICD is 204,000 TEUs per year [36,000 for imports, 84,000 for exports, and 84,000 for empties]. Our indispensable focal level might be the companies inner the commercial zone. As more industrial companies space up here, we can expand the potential. If about 60% of the skill is utilised, it will probably well per chance accumulate around 600 jobs.”
Tawfiq acknowledged, “We’re making a huge investment and must make certain that the present government facilities are hasty made on hand to us.”
“To objective this commercial, we require clearance from the Nationwide Board of Revenue (NBR), customs, and port authorities. With immediate clearance, our investment will be staunch,” he acknowledged.
JICA Bangladesh Place of work Senior Handbook Yamada Eiji acknowledged, “It takes more time to import and export items in Bangladesh in contrast to competitor worldwide locations. The Chittagong Port generally experiences container congestion. Due to this truth, it’s very predominant to obtain a customs express of job at the special financial zone for customs clearance.”
Dr Selim Raihan, executive director of the South Asian Network on Financial Modeling (Sanem), immediate TBS, “Here’s a lawful initiative. Such efforts enlarge substitute facilitation and can motivate decrease every costs and time.”
“Nonetheless, it is a must must follow global supreme practices. We’ve got got viewed cases in the previous where unhealthy items had been saved in ICDs, main to accidents. Honest monitoring ought to still be ensured,” he added.
Aparup Chowdhury, CEO of the Bangladesh Financial Zones Traders Affiliation (BEZIA), immediate TBS, “We hope the ICD becomes operational hasty. Several companies obtain already started production at NSEZ, and more will follow rapidly. They’ll be in a local to store their containers inner the commercial zone.”
In the period in-between, Bangladesh Railway has planned a recent railway line to join the NSEZ with the present Dhaka-Chattogram railway line. The proposed railway line will be 13.4 km long, beginning from the Bartakia railway space. This might per chance even fair ensure connectivity between the NSEZ and Chattogram Port by the exhaust of toll road, waterways, and rail, facilitating the circulate of items.
On 19 November, at a press conference in Chattogram, Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman launched that container going thru at the Chattogram Port right thru the final three months (August to October) reached around 8.30 lakh TEUs, which is an enlarge of 76.98 TEUs or 9.016% in contrast to the identical interval final year.
Round 92% of the nation’s import-export substitute passes thru Chattogram Port, and around 98% of all cargo containers transported thru Bangladesh’s seaports are handled at this port.
