Awami League regime rejects deep seaport project

[idune]

Cabinet body rejects PPP funding for deep seaport
Shipping ministry told to review the proposal

FE Report

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Sunday rejected proposals for establishing a deep seaport and purchase of an oil tanker for state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.

The Ministry of Shipping had placed the proposals at the Cabinet Division, seeking funding for the multi-billion dollar port at southern island of Sonadia in Cox's Bazar and Tk 3.50 billion oil tanker under the state-sponsored PPP arrangements.

But the committee led by Finance Minister AMA Muhith turned down the proposals, pointing that the government hasn't set up a full PPP cell yet and no chief executive has been appointed to run its office, sources said.

Members of the committee including Agriculture Minister Matia Choudhury, Planning Minister Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khondker, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and Commerce Minister Faruk Khan attended the meeting.

Sources said Muhith has asked the shipping minister to review the proposals before the establishment of an independent PPP office. The shipping minister, however, declined to make comment on the outcome of the meeting.

The finance minister floated the PPP initiatives for building large and costly infrastructures such as elevated roads, metro rails, ports and power plants in his 2010 budget speech, allocating sizable fund for the funding arrangements.

Some 15 months have since passed, but the PPP initiatives have yet to bear any fruit. Funding for a raft of projects is set to be made through the PPP, but no tangible progress has been made to give the funding arrangement an institutional shape.

Officials said the Cabinet Committee in its meeting at the secretariat approved proposals in establishing a multi-billion taka Hi-tech Park at Kaliakoir, Gajipur under the PPP.



Cabinet body rejects PPP funding for deep seaport

 

[idune]

Using mere technicality Awami regime cabinet rejected much hyped deep seaport. But it is not mere coincidence that just after Indian PM visit Awami League regime Finance minister, a staunch indian loyalist rejected the deep sea project. India had been pushing Awami regime, against Bangladesh interest, to distance Bangladesh from China. It is important to note that China had agreed in principal to fund the project and even sent MOU for setting up the sea port.

Awami regime deception:
It is also important people to notice Awami cabinet approved a multi billion taka IT park under PPP term yet deep sea project rejected using excuse that PPP administration has not been set up.

 

[Paan Singh]

Using mere technicality Awami regime cabinet rejected much hyped deep seaport. But it is not mere coincidence that just after Indian PM visit Awami League regime Finance minister, a staunch indian loyalist rejected the deep sea project. India had been pushing Awami regime, against Bangladesh interest, to distance Bangladesh from China. It is important to note that China had agreed in principal to fund the project and even sent MOU for setting up the sea port.

Awami regime deception:
It is also important people to notice Awami cabinet approved a multi billion taka IT park under PPP term yet deep sea project rejected using excuse that PPP administration has not been set up.

damn these indians did again

 

[idune]

Awami regime essentially turned down following Chinese MOU and proposal for funding for deep sea port.

China sends MoU draft on deep seaport

Syful Islam

The Chinese government has sent a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) to its Bangladesh counterpart on the construction of a deep seaport at Sonadia in Chittagong, officials said Thursday.

"We have received a draft of the MoU from China Merchants Holdings International Company Ltd (CMHI) last week. But it is yet to take a concrete shape," Shipping Secretary Abdul Mannan Howlader told the FE.

"Once there is any development, we will let the people know it through press conference," Mr Howlader said.

CMHI Senior Deputy General Manager Mark Yang signed the forwarding letter of the MoU on June 21 but it reached the ministry of shipping last week.

"We are sending the draft of the MoU according to the decision of the meeting held on May 30 last in Dhaka," Mr Yang wrote to the shipping secretary.

The CMHI authority also invited Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and the shipping secretary to visit Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong to see their operations there.

Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes last week told newsmen that Bangladesh was yet to prepare a structural design for the project though one year had elapsed since the assurance from Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese vice-president also reiterated his government's commitment to Bangladesh in the construction of deep seaport two weeks back at a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in Beijing.

Earlier in the middle part of last May Chinese Transport Minister Li Shenglin in a letter to Shajahan Khan designated their state-owned entity CMHI for construction and operation of the proposed deep seaport.

In 2006, Japanese firm Pacific Consultant International (PCI) first conducted a feasibility study for the proposed seaport.

The seaport, to be built at Sonadia Island of Moheshkhali in Chittagong, at the first stage will contain five international standard jetties with the capacity of handling a total of 704.01 million tonnes of containers a year.

The total construction cost of the seaport in three phases has been estimated at Tk 600 billion, the first phase of which is to be completed by 2020 at a cost of Tk 130 billion.

The CMHI is the largest port operator in China and is operating five key port clusters in the mainland China. It had stakes in ports in Nigeria, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

According to a communiqué between the two governments, the Chinese side has shown interest to fund construction of the seaport under a commercial contract.

The shipping ministry in March shortlisted seven companies for detailed designing of the seaport, although it still remains not clear whether any company other than the Chinese one would be eligible for the final selection.

A government-to-government deal to construct the seaport would mean that the shipping ministry has to cancel the bidding process and select the CMHI to construct and operate it without going through any selection process, sources said.

The detailed design of the seaport will cost Tk 1.0 billion for which the Chittagong Port will provide fund. The ministry of shipping last week held a meeting in this connection.

The worsening congestion situation at Chittagong Port is the main reason for which the government has opted to build a deep seaport at Sonadia.

The Chittagong Port has handled some 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers during the first 11 months of the 2010-11 fiscal year (FY) against 1.09 million TEUs of containers in the same period in FY 2009-10.

Bangladesh has planned to make Sonadia a major regional shipping hub, catering to the demand of north-east India, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

China sends MoU draft on deep seaport

 

[Paan Singh]

thks awami.......

 

[Zabaniyah]

thks awami.......

Damn, you Indians

 

[TopCat]

PPP proposal is irrelevant now as Chinese going to construct the port. MOU is received. We shall see the next step. Its the chinese who was delaying the project as they want one more feasibility report by themselves.

 

[Al-zakir]

Using mere technicality Awami regime cabinet rejected much hyped deep seaport. But it is not mere coincidence that just after Indian PM visit Awami League regime Finance minister, a staunch indian loyalist rejected the deep sea project. India had been pushing Awami regime, against Bangladesh interest, to distance Bangladesh from China. It is important to note that China had agreed in principal to fund the project and even sent MOU for setting up the sea port.

Awami regime deception:

It is also important people to notice Awami cabinet approved a multi billion taka IT park under PPP term yet deep sea project rejected using excuse that PPP administration has not been set up.

So we can conclude that Awami Dalals has halt the project. I think we just have to wait until BNP government. Begum Zia actually talk about deep sea port while she was visiting China couple of month ago. Bangladesh-China relation will reach new height after the departure of Bharti dalals.

PPP proposal is irrelevant now as Chinese going to construct the port. MOU is received. We shall see the next step. Its the chinese who was delaying the project as they want one more feasibility report by themselves.

You know it very well, Awami will not go against the aspiration of Delhi. So why do you even try to come up with explanation.

 

[Paan Singh]

Damn, you Indians

---------- Post added at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:15 AM ----------

So we can conclude that Awami Dalals has halt the project. I think we just have to wait until BNP government. Begum Zia actually talk about deep sea port while she was visiting China couple of month ago. Bangladesh-China relation will reach new height after the departure of Bharti dalals.



You know it very well, Awami will not go against the aspiration of Delhi. So why do you even try to come up with explanation.

awani will remain in power atleast till 10 years...dont worry we will manage them to be there.....

 

[TopCat]

You know it very well, Awami will not go against the aspiration of Delhi. So why do you even try to come up with explanation.

You probably did not update yourself. AL govt prostpone all the major treaty to be signed durin MMS visit.
They sent the FM twice after PM himself to follow the deep sea port up along with some big budget defence purchasse.

Dont fall for Idune, He vehemently opposed the concept of deep sea port last year. but now coming here like crying baby that deep sea port was dumped. Good for him.

 

[Zabaniyah]

awani will remain in power atleast till 10 years...dont worry we will manage them to be there.....

What can I say? Cheap things suit cheap people

 

[Paan Singh]

What can I say? Cheap things suit cheap people

untill it suits our interst......who cares for haters?

 

[Zabaniyah]

untill it suits our interst......who cares for haters?

I don't hate you. In fact, I have no reason to hate India. And neither do Bangladeshis even though they may have an unfavorable opinion of India.

Hate, anti-something are harsh extreme terms. The choice would be scrutiny, questioning, and criticism. And if one is incapable of accepting or dealing with criticism, he/she is probably not human.

Should the Bangladeshis choose to assert themselves, I doubt if you can do anything about it. India's main reasons for supporting the AL is due to over the transit issue, which unfortunately for you, didn't go exactly as planned.

The problem in Bangladesh's side of negotiations is lack of broad consensus. Generally, the more consensus a country has, the stronger the negotiating power. This is what is lacking in Bangladesh, both under the BNP and AL.

With your given conditions over the transit and other outstanding issues, they are so unclear, uncertain and some would say unfair, that not even the AL would accept them

The only result is MMS going empty handed over the transit issue which your country has been campaigning so hard all along. Pitiful.

Now quit clowning around, and explain your point of view. What is it that you exactly want out of Bangladesh?

 

[Al-zakir]

awani will remain in power atleast till 10 years...dont worry we will manage them to be there.....

There is a saying in Bangladesh: Mamar Barir abdar.

PM my good friend Tik Tiki if you do not know the meaning.

 

[HZR2011]

Good work Bangladesh Govt
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