ZCZC
JS-34
BUDGET-SHIPPING-ALLOCATION
Tk 4,000cr proposed for shipping ministry
DHAKA, June 11, 2020 (BSS) – The government has allocated Tk 4,000
crore for the Shipping Ministry in the proposed budget for fiscal
2020-21, which was Tk 3,833 in fiscal 2019-20.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed the allocation while
placing the national budget for fiscal 2020-21 in parliament here
today.
The revised budget for the ministry was Tk 3,906 in the outgoing
fiscal 2019-20.
In his budget speech, Kamal said the government is implementing a
massive programme to make foreign and internal trade easier and
competitive by enhancing the capacity of the country’s sea, river and
land ports using modern technology and equipment.
He said capital dredging and other activities to increase
navigability have been taken up along 53 routes of inland waterways.
To enhance the goods handling capacity of the country’s sea ports
and raise their standards to the international level, plans have been
taken up to construct new container terminals, overflow container
yards, bay terminal and bulk terminal, and procure vessels, he said.
Besides, the finance minister said, plans are afoot to carry out
dredging of port-connecting river channels, and upgrade
port-connecting roads into six-lanes and four-lanes.
He said plans have been taken up to build inland container
river-ports, erect pillars along the river banks, safeguard river
banks, construct necessary structures, including walkways and jetties,
and remove waste from river beds aiming to enhance the goods handling
capacity of river ports.
International passenger terminal for passengers, and modern
warehouse, yards, transshipment shades, weighbridge scales and other
structures for storing imported goods have been built at the Benapole
Land Port, Kamal said.
“We have taken steps for the modernisation and capacity building of
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
Corporation,” he added.
BSS/MRI/MRU/1933hrs