Chattogram Port extends revolving account facility for bill payment till October 31

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has extended the facility of paying consignee bills through pay-orders and bank revolving accounts, alongside the online system, until October 31. Starting November 1, all such bills must be paid 100% online.

The information was disclosed in a notice signed by Syed Refayet Hamim, Secretary (In-charge) of the CPA.

According to the notice, following an application by the Chattogram Customs Agents Association (CCAA) and with the approval of the proper authorities, consignee bills for containers can be paid through online banking as well as pay-orders and bank revolving accounts until October 31. However, from November 1, paying container consignee bills through online platforms will be mandatory, with no pay-orders or bank revolving accounts accepted for these bills from that date onward.

The notice further stated that technical work between the port’s online system and Sonali Bank has been completed, allowing port users to pay any port bills using Sonali Bank’s online gateway. The CPA has urged all C&F agents, consignees and port users to ensure their bill payments are made using the online banking system within the stipulated time.

Earlier, in an application submitted to CPA Chairman Rear Admiral S.M. Moniruzzaman on September 27, the CCAA had requested that the existing bank revolving account payment facility be kept active alongside the newly introduced digital system. The application, signed by the association’s General Secretary Md Shawkat Ali, stated that previously, consignee bills were regularly paid through fund or account transfers from C&F agents’ revolving accounts maintained at bank branches in the port’s one-stop service centre, alongside pay-orders, allowing agents to clear dues quickly and easily.

The suspension of that system starting September 23, which forced agents to use the new digital payment method, had caused discontent among C&F agents, the application noted. Following intervention by the association and discussions with port officials, the revolving account payment method was temporarily reinstated. In response to the association’s request to maintain the revolving account option alongside the new digital system, the CPA decided to extend the facility until October 31.