SAPL is playing a pivotal role in Bangladesh economy in the following manner:
- Unemployment is one of the major challenges for development of Bangladesh. Currently, our unemployment rate is 14.2% which may deter the objective of achieving economic growth of 8% and the path of realizing our vision of becoming a middle-income country by 2021. According to a World Bank’s Bangladesh Development Outlook 2013 report, raising the level of investment to 31.4% of GDP for creating more jobs will help out the situation. Off-Dock industry in Bangladesh investing over USD 500 Million is contributing in employment generation. Summit Alliance Port Limited has generated employment of around 1000 people and from its expansion project another 300-400 people will be employed.
- Export earning of Bangladesh is growing year by year. Exports in Bangladesh increased to 3024.30 USD Million in July of 2013 from 2705.50 USD Million in June of 2013. Bangladesh Exports averaged 3267.27 USD Million from 1995 until 2013, Bangladesh exports mainly ready-made garments including knit wear and hosiery (75% of exports revenue). Off-Dock industry handles around 100% of the export cargoes by investing their money and adopting high technological operation in their off-docks and SAPL has a significant share in handling these cargoes. The chart given below shows an increase in export earning over the years.
- Bangladesh's infrastructure industry is one of the most underdeveloped in the world, a factor which has impeded economic growth in the country. In the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2012-13, the country's infrastructure competitiveness was ranked 118th out of 144 countries. However, Off-Dock industry is playing a momentous role in developing infrastructure of the country and SAPL has a noteworthy contribution here as the company has undertaken an expansion project by developing a River Terminal, one of the major thrust sectors for development of the country’s economy.
As the gradual demand of international trade has been increasing day by day so the demand of export and import activity have caused the necessity to set up Off-Dock facility inside or nearby port area. Summit & Alliance group also felt the importance of providing this facility by establishing Off-Dock with fully equipped facilities like skilled manpower, advanced equipment, software system etc. to keep record of each stock, document and transaction. Without Off-Dock containers cannot be loaded or unloaded smoothly and there may have been tremendous problems without clearing and forwarding. All the activities related to clearance of goods for home use, warehousing, temporary admissions, re-export, temporary storage for onward transit and outright export, transshipment of cargo can also take place from such Off-Dock stations.