‘PHP imports quality bitumen’

PHP Family, one of the country's largest industrial groups, says it imports quality bitumen from the UAE. 
 
Responding to some media reports alleging that the company has been importing low quality bitumen from Iran, PHP Family said this in a media release yesterday.
 
Ershadul Mostafa, general manager (Supply Chain) of PHP Family, said in the news release, that Bay Terminal and Distribution Co Ltd, a sister concern of the PHP family, imported bitumen from the Verasco FZE company of  Dubai. 
 
The Dubai Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industries has awarded the company a Country of Origin Certificate.

The quality of the imported bitumen was confirmed by Eastern Refinery Lab tests before unloading from the ship, in compliance with government directives, said the news release. 
 
However, false information spreading, that there is no bitumen plant in Dubai, is creating confusion.
 
PHP Family says rumours are being propagated that Iranian bitumen is coming to Bangladesh through the UAE. 
 
They say such allegations were made even though the product was unloaded at Chattogram Port after completing all port and customs procedures properly, read the media release. 
 
Moreover, there is no way to release a product from the port under  false declaration.
 
The Chinese flag-bearing ship 'Guang Zhou Wan' started its journey with its cargo of bulk petroleum bitumen, from the port of Hamriyah adjacent to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and reached the outer anchorage of Chattogram port on 19 May.
 
Despite repeated pleas, the ship did not anchor at the jetty. 
 
"Then we went to court, and the court issued an order to release the bitumen from the ship on 16 June. In this context, the release of bitumen started from 17 June and ended on 18 June. After unloading, the ship left Chattogram port on 21 June and our business has suffered due to our inability to supply bitumen to our customers on time. We have been facing harassment ever since," said the news release.
 
Bay Terminal has been importing bulk petroleum bitumen as industrial raw material from several countries, including Dubai in the Middle East, for nearly 20 years. 
 
Quality bitumen is being imported in accordance with the prevailing laws of the country, import policy orders and rules and regulations of the National Board of Revenue, according to the PHP Family.