The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) is planning to form a subsidiary - National Dredging Company (NDC) - to cater for increasing demand of maintenance dredging of four ports of the country, it is reliably learnt on Wednesday.
The concept behind the formation of the NDC is to save huge amount of money that is being spent on dredging of these ports every year through a foreign contracting companies, except the KPT which owns all equipment for this purpose.
There are backlogs every year on one count or the other due to delays in concluding contracts or inadequate efforts and funds.
The ports that need maintenance dredging regularly are Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Jinnah Naval Base (JNB) at Ormara and Gwadar Port Authority (GPA).
For the first time, the KPT planning to form a subsidiary for maintaining the declared draft (Depth) of all existing ports and would also help for new port sites that the Ministry of Ports and Shipping is looking for.
In this regard, the port planners are to find a solution to this perpetual situation as the acute shortage of proper dredging equipment is hampering movement of ships and causing their grounding and resulting in serious accidents.
Regular and efficient dredging by employing latest equipment and techniques is essential for ports to maintain declared draft (depth) and even to increase it in harbour channels and alongside berths to provide safe passage as well as berthing of large vessels which is at present part of modern port sector competition.
The KPT is maintaining a fleet of dredging equipment and additional equipment required to meet the total dredging need of all four ports was assessed.
It is essential to design deeper channels and to maintain all weather draft in the country to attract transhipment cargoes. Dredging is the main tool to attain such objective.
All ports need regular dredging and at present dredging is being planned and executed by each port individually.
KPT is using its own dredging fleet for this purpose while the PQA invite foreign dredging companies to maintain its draft (Depth).
The scenario clearly shows that all ports have focused vision on their own requirements and dis-co-ordinated efforts are on by four different independent authorities to achieve the same goal. Dredging is causing colossal cost to the country and producing damaging results like reduction in channel draft restricting movement of ships. The situation needs urgent decisions in order to perform proactive and high efficiency of ports, as they needed to be competitive in the region.
The ports like Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila etc have taken lead and have become hub for container transportation due to timely decision to modernise there ports. The concept behind the formation of a central dredging company is to carry out maintenance dredging, in all four ports, in a planned, efficient and most economical manner.
According to the proposed plan the NDC to work as independent Strategic Business Unit (SBU), generating own revenues to sustain efficient and profitable operation. This also includes: self-directive management, financial autonomy, and satisfaction of clients with outstanding performance, optimum utilisation of machines, personnel and time expanding market by building up reputation for efficiency, total elimination of bureaucratic culture.
On the operational side, the company to induct dredging equipment on merchant navy pattern, signing on crew for 24-hours working, relieving one-third crew every three months, selection of personnel strictly on pure merit, attractive salaries, efficiency bonus and allowances, incorporation of high standard maintenance programme for preventive maintenance to keep the equipment in top condition keeping cost as secondary consideration etc.
The proposed model for the National Dredging Company will be on the basis of a private-public sector partnership. The company will be set up as a public limited company under the Companies Ordinance. The 51 percent shares in the company may be offered to foreign strategic investors and the Ministry of Ports and Shipping retains the remaining balance of 49 percent.
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