Setting up strategic storage facilities at Port Qasim: Food Department, Fauji Akbar ortia Marine Terminals sign MoU

Food Department, Government of Sindh and Fauji Akbar Portia Marine Terminals Ltd have joined hands to establish strategic storage facilities (SSF) with a capacity to store 150,000 tons of wheat/grains at South Western Industrial Zone of Port Qasim on Monday.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Aftab Ahmed Memon, Secretary to Government of Sindh, Food Department and Ahmed K Rana, Chief Executive Officer, Fauji Akbar Portia Marine Terminals Ltd at Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) office. Minister of Finance Murad Ali Shah, SBI Chairman Zubair Motiwala, Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran Baloch, MD Fauji Foundation, Lieutenant General Mustafa Khan (retd) and FAP Vice Chairman Ghouse Akbar were also present at the signing ceremony.
According to MoU, FAP will invest 100 million dollars including a foreign direct investment (FDI) component from potential Chinese investors for establishment of the storage facility of 150,000 tons of wheat/grain exclusively for the Sindh government or its nominees.
Speaking on the occasion, FAP CEO Ahmed Kamal Rana said "FAP has already established an exclusive dry cargo terminal at Port Qasim with a cost of 135 million dollars that has the maximum designed capacity of 2.5 million tons and storage capacity of 125,000 tons. The facility is fully operational since December 2010."
Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh government had already initiated establishment of modern grain storage facility under Public Private Partnership mode. The current environmental challenges especially in the wake of recent devastating floods in Pakistan had made the construction of modern grain storage facility indispensable to cater the fluctuating demand of grain, he added. Motiwala said, "At present Sindh alone facing storage shortage of minimum four million metric tons. The said dedicated storage facility will immediately enhance the capacity for Sindh government to store grain through modern methods."