The government has given policy approval for the operation and maintenance of the Patenga Container Terminal of Chattogram port to be carried out under Public-Private Partnership (PPP). This approval was given at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on financial matters on 3 March. There is a potential to invest USD 58 million on the project.
Chattogram port is the country’s largest and busiest port. The port plays an important role in the economic growth of the country. The container terminal currently under construction at Patenga will increase the capacity of the port and increase the logistics efficiency of the port.
The project titled ‘Equip, Operate and Maintenance of Patenga Container Terminal’ is under the Ministry of Shipping. According to the pre-survey, the potential investment the project is estimated to receive is USD 58 million and the annual operating cost is USD 8 million.
Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury presented various aspects of the project at a meeting and proposed that approval be given to implement the project under PPP.
It was presented at the meeting that similar PPP projects have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world including China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Many foreign investors have contacted the PPP authority and expressed their interests regarding this project.
At present, seven PPP projects under the Ministry of Shipping are in various stages of implementation.
