Shortage of space at airports and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cargo handling deficiency creating problems for exporters. The streamlining of cargo handling system at all airports throughout the country is need of the hour to enhance the exports.
These were the unanimous views of the exporters and traders in a meeting with National consultant, Ministry of Commerce, Syed Irtiqa Zaidi and Executive Secretary, National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee (NTTFC) Javaid Mansoor. The meeting was held at Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Thursday, presided over by the RCCI President Jalil Ahmad Malik.
Zaidi said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has constituted a Task Force under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission for improvement of National Trade Corridor and approved the National Trade Corridor Implementation Programme (NTCIP). Under the programme, the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) is carrying out a study on creation and implementation of cargo handling facilities at airports in Pakistan, he said.
He said for the purpose of collecting data they would interact with exporters, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Pakistan Freight Forwarders Association and Government departments including Ministry of Defence, Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan International Airlines, Central Board of Revenue, Statistics Division, National Logistic Cell, Export Promotion Bureau, Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board, etc.
Ministry of Commerce (MoC) intends to make projections of the requirements of air cargo handling facilities required at all the airports of Pakistan during the next ten years to facilitate quick transportation of commercial goods.
He said the study would be completed in four weeks and will cover an assessment of the major air cargo generation points, nature of cargo, quality of packaging and existing capacity of import and export markets.
Irtiqa said that World Bank (WB) had intended to spend six billion dollars for this project in next five years while Asian Development Bank (ADB) also desired to give grant for the project.
Speaking on the occasion, Jalil Malik said that development of air cargo handling facilities was the need of the hour as there is big potential for making Pakistan a hub for transit of air cargo in the region.
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