The Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has allowed ten demurrage-free days to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for the second phase of import of 500,000 tonnes of wheat, commencing from February 16. Under the port's tariff, only eight demurrage-free days are allowed to the trade. The demurrage-free days are counted after 50 percent of the discharge is completed. The Port Qasim successfully completed a massive import operation of handling one million tonnes of wheat to eliminate shortage of the commodity in the country.
Only 500 tonnes of wheat is still to be lifted, which would clear the port storage area for new arrivals.
The PQA sources said that at least three ships-load of wheat were expected this month. The subsequent shipments would follow each other with a gap of five to six days providing sufficient time for the lifting of stocks before the new arrivals.
In view of the past experience, when there were delays in lifting wheat from the port during the first round, the PQA has asked the TCP to alert the provinces about the new phase of wheat import so that they could make the lifting arrangements in advance.
The PQA sources expressed the hope that the second wheat operation would be smooth as far as lifting is concerned.
Recalling the lifting problems faced during the first phase of wheat import, the sources said these were mainly due to shortage of workers and trucks because of the month of Ramazan.
The delay in lifting was also caused by the Sindh government's late decision of allowing floor millers to lift wheat directly from the port.
The source also described the berthing of wheat carrying vessels at the port responsible for the mess up, which resulted in accumulation of huge quantities of the commodity. They described the new vessel schedule appropriate to handle wheat comfortably in the second round of wheat import.
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