The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has called upon the government to frame policies so as to encourage private sector investment in shipping, said a press release issued here on Wednesday. According to press release, the demand was made by Sheikh Jamil Mehboob Magoon Chairman Sub-Committee of FPCCI who led a delegation for a visit on Wednesday to Pakistan's first private sector container terminal at Karachi Port, it added.
The delegation included former FPCCI Presidents Tariq Saeed, S M Muneer, Iftikhar Ali Malik, former FPCCI Vice-Presidents Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, Haroon Rashid and Raja Mohammed Jamil, Managing Committee Members Akbar Abdullah, Zubair Malik, Ghulam Sabir and several Life Members attended.
Sheikh Jamil Mehboob Magoon said in a statement after the visit that due to almost non-existence of Pak flag vessels the entire trade of Pakistan, both import and export, was dependent on foreign-flag carriers. As a consequence, the release concerned, the foreign-flag shipping companies were in a position to dictate and charge high freight rates for both import and export cargo of Pakistan.
He added Pakistan's exports, resultantly, were becoming incompetitive in the international market, making it difficult to increase exports of the country.
Sheikh Jamil Mehboob Magoon offered the services of FPCCI to the government for framing policies that would help the development of shipping industry of Pakistan, which would consequently increase its exports.
Earlier, the FPCCI delegation was briefed by Captain Haleem A Siddiqui Chairman Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) Limited at the terminal office at East Wharf about the working of the container terminal. He said the PICT started operation in August 2002 after entering into an agreement with Karachi Port Trust. The dedicated area for the terminal was 220,000 square meters out of which PICT had taken possession of 136,000 sq meters. The project would be completed in three phases. In the first phase, PICT had capacity to handle 150,000 TEUs annually, which would be increased, to 300,000 TEUs in the second phase of the project.
Captain Haleem added that the Custom authorities were providing 24 hours service at the PICT, which arrangement had been appreciated by CBR. He said PICT with its latest equipment; deepest berths and large yard area had the ability to handle the largest vessels calling in the regional ports with the quickest vessel turnaround. He said PICT was compliant with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and provided for round the clock camera surveillance for the protection and safe handling of the cargo. PICT was also compliant with the World Bank standards for Safety, Health and Environment, he added.
FPCCI former President Iftikhar Ali Malik appreciated the briefing, which he said, was very educative. He informed the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) would be developing a dry port in Lahore to handle both import and export containers and said the expertise of Pakistan International Container Terminal would be sought in that regard.-PR
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