KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Qaisar Ahmed Shaikh, the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, gave the business community the assurance that the government will make sure port operations were cost-effective.
He noted the worries expressed by different companies about the increasing port fees at Karachi Port Trust while chairing a meeting in the nation’s capital.
He declared that the administration was dedicated to overcoming these obstacles and establishing an atmosphere that is conducive to business and promotes economic expansion.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining cost-effectiveness in port operations, stating that it was crucial for boosting trade competitiveness, while acknowledging the rising cargo charges at the KPT.
The impact of increased port costs at KPT on the cost of doing business was the topic of the meeting, which was called in response to complaints from yarn merchants, chambers of commerce and industry, and other trade associations.
requests a detailed plan from KPT to rationalize charges.
Stakeholders from the KPT and other government agencies attended the conference, which decided to map out a course for easing the strain on the companies.
The majority of the complainants, who participated in the conference via a digital link, emphasized how increased port fees negatively affected operating costs, which in turn affected the cost of imported goods and export competitiveness.
Reexamining port fees to make sure they matched regional standards and improving operational effectiveness to cut down on delays and related expenses were the main topics of discussion.
There are two types of docking facilities at the port, one of which is run by the Dubai Port and the other by the KPT, the KPT officials told the meeting.
They urged the complainants to define their problem and emphasized that the cumulative charges at the KPT-operated berths were significantly lower than those at the foreign-party berths.
The members of the business community did not spot the berths that were charging outrageous prices for certain services.
It was decided that the business community would send the ministry the specifics of their grievances.
Mr. Shaikh gave the KPT and other pertinent parties instructions to draft a thorough plan that would rationalize port fees while maintaining high-quality service.
The minister declared that a working group will be established to oversee the implementation of the choices made.
Time of clearance
Separately, the head collector of customs, appraisal (South), asserted that the newly implemented Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) System has lowered the average time required to clear a goods declaration from 109 hours to 18 hours.
Muhammad Jamil Nasir Khan stated during a visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday that importers no longer had to go to government offices or participate in drawn-out legal proceedings because of the FCA system.
According to him, the FCA has maintained strong revenue collection since its mid-December introduction, collecting Rs86 billion in the first 15 days of its operation.
Future plans, according to Mr. Khan, include setting up a centralized testing facility in Karachi with bodycams for examiners to guarantee openness and round-the-clock oversight. According to him, the World Bank is providing financial support for the project and will also implement an incentive-based system for appraisers that would tie their success to the volume, quality, and speed of GD processing.
