India's Proposal for Reducing Transit Fees Turned Down

The Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has rejected a proposal put forward by India to reduce road transit fees as the rate fixed earlier is lower than the actual one.

Sources said that the rate was revised at a meeting on Monday in line with the 2014 toll policy of the Roads and Highways Department following a request by the Indian High Commission to reduce the rate to Tk 1.85 from Tk 2.0 per tonne per kilometer.

They said that the review meeting was held with the additional secretary in the chair after a delegation from the Indian High Commission requested the RTHD to review the rate during their visit on 29 December.

"The division sat to internally review the request but found no scope of reduction as it is already lower than the rate fixed in line with toll policy," said a meeting source.

After signing an agreement between Bangladesh and India on the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for the movement of goods to and from India, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges in December 2019 fixed Tk 2.10 as road user fees for transit consignment.

Of total fees, Tk 0.25 was fixed as congestion fees.

Upon request received from the Indian side at the first meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on 5 December 2019, the Ministry reduced the rate to Tk 2.0 for transport of 15 tons of medium-sized goods on eight routes and informed the Ministry of Transport of its decision.

The charge is additional fees fixed by the shipping ministry for transshipment.

Official sources said it was an internal meeting to review the rate as India made a request again in this regard.