Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), being part of India-Pakistan-Bangladesh-Ceylon-Conference (IPBCC), should not allow the conference for arbitrary increase in freight rates. In a statement Chairman of the Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and industry (FPCCI), Captain A. Rashid Abro, before announcing increase in the freight rates, the conferences should have consulted their clients, ie the FPCCI and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).
Abro said the increase in freight to destinations in Europe would hurt Pakistani exports, particularly textile, to Europe.
He said due to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime and abolition of quota system, "our exports to Europe, including textiles, are under serious threat from the competitors."
With that unwarranted increase in freight rates, the exporters were going to suffer huge losses and some of them might be forced to wind up their business, he added.
Abro strongly protested against that "unjustified increase in the freight rates," and requested the Prime Minister and the Minister for Ports and Shipping to immediately intervene and restrict such conference lines from increasing the rates, which were going to harm our export industry.