USTDA awards $293,615 grant to Chittagong port

USTDA awards $293,615 grant to Chittagong port    The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a $293,615 grant to improve container security and throughput at Bangladesh’s Chittagong port.
   According to the USTDA, Bangladesh wants to improve its operations at Chittagong to increase trade, improve revenue collection, and adopt international security standards and practices. Chittagong is Bangladesh’s primary port, processing 85 percent of the country’s imports and 80 percent of its exports.
   “Container traffic at the port is growing, but is constrained by problems, such as port congestion, document processing delays, and paper-based terminal management,” USTDA said in an Aug. 11 statement.
   So far, Bangladesh has received assistance from the Asian Development Bank to implement a broad Chittagong Port Trade Facilitation Project. A major piece of this initiative is the secure scanning and movement of containers.
   USTDA said its grant will help Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue assess the technical options, define procurement needs, and recommend suitable training to improve the operational processes and business procedures related to the purchase and implementation of a container scanning system for Chittagong.
   The opportunity for U.S. firms to provide technical assistance will be provided through the Federal Business Opportunities Web site: https://www.fedbizopps.gov. Interested firms should submit proposals according the instructions contained in the Federal Business Opportunities announcement. Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue will select the U.S. contractor that will provide the technical assistance, USTDA said.