According to customs and port sources, one of the three cargo vessels, MT Super 40, arrived at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port on November 25 with 12,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia. S Alam Super Edible Oil Ltd imported oil worth USD 12.4 million. More than 54 days have passed since the arrival of the ship, but the consignment has not yet been cleared.
It is learned that the importer is now counting on a fine of USD 16,000 per day and this will continue till the cargo is unloaded from the vessel. This means that the company paid a fine of US$86,4000 or approximately 91 million Taka in the last 54 days.
A bulk carrier, MV Common Atlas, arrived at Chattogram port on 5 January with 60,500 tonnes of sugar from Brazil. About 23,650 tonnes of sugar was cleared from the vessel before the exporter stopped offloading on January 11 citing non-payment of import bills.
Later, a 200-metre-long cargo vessel docked at the jetty on Monday, but without offloading the sugar, it was again sent to the outer berth.
The importer is levying a penalty of US$ 40,000 per day for delay in unloading. A total of US$280,000 in fines were collected in the seven days from 11 January.
MT Sogan is the third of the ships waiting at the Chattogram port. It arrived here on 6 January with a load of crude soybeans from Brazil for Bangladesh Edible Oil and Meghna Oil Refinery Limited.
The soyabean of Bangladesh Edible Oil was immediately cleared, but Meghna Oil Refinery’s imports remained stuck due to non-payment of bills. Meghna Oil imported 5,000 tonnes of oil for USD 6.2 million and is now counting on a daily fine of USD 38,000 for delay in unloading.
Earlier, another importer, TK Group, had to wait for 10 days to clear the cargo from the ship.