Payra seaport
Deals signed with 2 Chinese firms
Bangladesh has signed three deals with two Chinese companies to develop the infrastructure of the newly-established Payra Sea Port. These firms are the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). Under the three memorandums of understanding (MoUs), the two Chinese firms will build the ports main infrastructure, build embankments, and residential, educational and health facilities at the port under the government-to-government (G2G) mechanism.
The agreements were signed yesterday at the shipping ministrys conference room in the presence of shipping minister Shajahan Khan and ministry secretary Ashoke Madhab Roy. The acting chairman of the seaport, Commodore Saidur Rahman, CHEC joint managing director (MD) ML Zeng Nanhai, and CSCEC MD Li Shujiang signed the agreements on behalf of their respective organisations. CHEC will build the roads, sewerage, bridges, and railway links while the CSCEC will deal with the embankments, houses, and educational and health establishments. Roy told reporters that the government might need around USD 600 million to implement the works under the three agreements. The seaport authorities have taken a step towards building a modern seaport by signing the MoUs, the shipping minister told reporters.
He said the port started limited operations on August 13 after being inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It has already earned around Tk. 17 crore by handling eight ships, the minister said. The amount will go up by the day. After starting full-swing operations, it will contribute around one per cent of the countrys GDP, he added. The port is being constructed on more than 7,000 acres on the western bank of the Barnabad channel. The government has made short-term, mid-term, and long-term plans to develop Payra seaport as a world-class modern and green seaport by 2023.
