Federal Ports and Shipping Minister, Kamran Michael on Wednesday said that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) still owes around Rs 3 billion to Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) under the head of fuel transportation charges. He was speaking as chief guest at the 5th Professionals Shipping, Logistics and Supply Chain Management Conference and Exhibition held at a local hotel.
In reply to a question, he said that a committee was set up to ascertain the reasons behind the January fuel crisis in the country, which the PSO was also a member, cleared the PNSC from the blame, adding that the national fuel carriers had been supplying timely shipments.
He said that the PSO had still to pay around Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 billion to the PNSC for transportation cost for last January. He offered the national institutions to acquire services of the ready PNSC ships for transportations of goods. He said the EU acting ambassador was due today (Thursday) at the fish harbour to examine the different facilities and hold discussions with the officials and stakeholders. He hoped the EU would enlist five more Pakistani companies to allow seafood import in the 28-nation bloc market, saying the enlistment would help the country's fisheries trade augment and the local fishermen earn a better living.
A ferry service for pilgrims visiting Iran is ready and will start sail off Karachi coast in the next three months, he said, adding that the ministry had done the spadework in this regard and finalised the plans after negotiations with Iranian government, Pakistan's foreign affairs officials and the FIA. Now, talks with the ferry operators have to take place to make the service operational, he said.
The Federal Ports and Shipping Minister also assured the logistics industry of his ministry's assistance to develop warehouses, besides addressing all their problems and help improve the logistics sector businesses. Earlier, S M Muneer, CEO, TDAP inaugurated conference. Swiss Consul General, Emil Wyss, Indonesian Consul General, Hadi Santoso, Executive Director, PNSC, Brid. Rashid Siddiqui, Chairman Air Cargo Agents Association of Pakistan, Farukh Iqbal, General Manager PIA, Sohail Yaqoob Abid, Director Supply Chain, Getzs Pharma, Mohammed Hanif Ajari and others were the key speakers.
Founder and CEO, The Professionals Network and organiser of the conference, Mehmood Tareen emphasised on the importance of such conferences. He thanked the participants, sponsors and facilitators for their support to make the event a successful. Ateeq Ur Rehman spoke about the misplaced priorities and gross negligence in the shipping, logistics and warehousing industry of Pakistan. He requested to the government to release the burden of the supply chain management entrepreneurs from indirect and withholding taxes. He suggested a reduction in the custom duty on the import of pre-engineered building (warehouse) and place it on zero rating to encourage growth of warehousing in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

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