Problems of dry port users highlighted

The government is fully aware of the problems being confronted by dry ports and is keen to improve the export/import activities at the dry ports to reduce the rush of cargo at sea ports of the country.
This was stated by Dr Asad Ali Shah, Advisor to Prime Minister for Infrastructure while talking to the office-bearers of the Federation of Pakistan Dry Ports here on Friday.
He said that the Prime Minister has constituted a task force to check and remove the obstacles and streamline the cargo movement coinciding with the growth rate and present travel time of the containers movement which is 4 to 5 times more than other countries.
Yasin Tahir, Additional Secretary of Commerce, Chairman, Sialkot Dry Port Trust, Mahboob Ahmad and General Manager Saleem Sheikh, Chairman, Faisalabad Dry Port Trust, Shahzad Ali Siddiqi and General Manager, Khalid Saifullah, Chairman, Multan Dry Port Trust, Muhammad Yousaf and General Manager, Javed Musarrat, MD NLC Dry Ports, Ghulam Akber Khan Niazi and MD Pakistan Railways Dry Port and PRACS Muhammad Ashraf Khattak attended the meeting.
Chairman, Federation of Pakistan Dry Ports, Shahzad Ali Siddiqi, highlighting the problems of the dry port told the Advisor that more than 7 container freight stations are operating at Karachi which are charging exorbitant rates from shippers and consignees, and demanded that the government should set up a body to regulate the service charges of these terminals.
Citing the example of seaport charges, Shahzad said that sea ports are charging 400 percent to 500 percent more than those charged by dry ports. He said that KPT is charging Rs 7000 per container, whereas the charges of QICT/PICT/KICT are Rs 3484 for the same export transaction. He demanded that a uniform policy should be adopted by sea ports and these charges be fixed in consultation of Federation of Pakistan Dry Ports (FPDP) and the Chambers of Commerce & Industry.
The FPDP Chairman said that the wharfage initially paid at Dry Ports is again charged at Karachi sea ports. He said that PICT charges Rs 4626, KICT Rs 5010 and QICT Rs 4563 for 40 ft container from dry ports as Receiving/Delivery/ Operation charges, although the containers of dry ports are driven straight from the gate to the ready stock (bonded area) and do not pass through the process adopted by the sea ports. Hence, their charges from dry ports are unjustifiable.
He demanded that these charges of sea ports should be eliminated in case of dry ports cargo.
He said that under the CARE System, the import containers of upcountry dry ports are detained at Karachi sea ports for interim period till completion of transshipment documents and issuance of the DO. Presently, Faisalabad Dry Port is charging Rs 2300 per container for completion of documentation at Karachi whereas the Karachi sea ports are charging up to Rs 8230 per container. Hence, an equilibrium be maintained in these charges.
Shahzad lamented about the varied container security charges from upcountry dry ports by shipping lines which vary from Rs 50,000 to Rs 150,000 per consignment, just to release the gate pass and issue loading program for the desired vessel. Hefty detention charges are also being collected by shipping lines from importers transacting business from dry ports. These charges range from $10 to $80 per day and many a time they exceed even the cost of the container.
Siddiqi said that imposition of placement charges by he shipping lines has also motivated their local representative at upcountry dry ports to take "Monetary Benefit" from the importers/exporters when they return the containers to shipping lines. He said that for example when the importer/exporter intends to return the empty container to the shipping line, the representative of the shipping line would instruct the importer/exporter to return it at the terminal at Karachi.
Assuming that this transaction would cost around Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, the local representative of shipping line then receives the bribe to accept the container in the local yard.
FPDP Chairman demanded that customs clearance timing at dry ports should be uniform and be fixed in consonance with Karachi ports which operate for 24 hours. He demanded that the import trade price should be uniform as there is large difference in import trade policy from port to port. He also demanded that customs felicitation services including PRAL timings at dry ports be uniform and the receiving of documents and clearance custom facilities be extended till midnight.
The Advisor to Prime Minister assured the Federation of Pakistan Dry Ports delegation that he would recommend to the Prime Minister in his summary report that the problems of dry ports should be solved permanently.