Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday said the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) was an important organ of country's logistics chain and the government would take all-out measures to make it modern and efficient.
He was reviewing the performance and re-organisational plans of the KPT, at a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister House.
While expressing satisfaction over the performance of KPT, he directed the Ports and Shipping minister, Babar Ghauri and KPT chairman to take necessary steps to make KPT a time and cost effective entity, making the hub of trade activity in the region.
The Prime Minister was informed that the KPT was taking several steps to make it competitive with the regional ports.
He was informed of the strategy in this regard which stresses upon cutting costs, expanding markets and incorporating corporate governance.
The meeting was informed about the steps being taken to make Karachi Port a deep-water and transit port.
Plans for commercial development of KPT real estate, various public-private ventures, automation, corporatisation, construction of cargo village, development of KPT Beach, Port Club and methodology to increase cargo traffic also came under discussion.
Meanwhile, reviewing the performance of Port Oasim Authority (PQA), during a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister House, Shaukat Aziz underlined the need to further enhance the overall cargo handling capacity and facilitate ships' traffic at Port Qasim to cater to the growing needs of the economy.
"Such a step would help sustain the momentum of growth in the economy," he stated.
Shaukat Aziz directed that most modern and latest technologies and machinery be used for speedy clearance of customs in order to avoid procedural delays.
This, he said, would also help in reducing the cost of doing business as well as facilitate exports and imports.
The Prime Minister said that ports should be run and managed on purely professional lines and should provide all necessary facilities matching international standards with a view to attracting more business and enhancing competitiveness.
PQA chairman in his presentation apprised the Prime Minister of the performance and future expansion and development plans of the authority, which included setting up of an LPG terminal to be operational by December 2005, construction of Liquid Cargo Terminal, Grain and Fertiliser Terminal, Maritime Workshop, expo centres, hotels, water sports facilities and LNG Terminal.
He said that PQA has allotted seven hundred acres of land for setting up a textile city, and major bulk of the land owned by the authority has already been provided to a number of businessmen and entrepreneurs to establish industries in the industrial zone of the PQA.
Complimenting the performance of the authority, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the establishment of industrial zone would help promote trade and commercial activities in the country, along with providing jobs to the people.
Senior officials of the ministry, PQA and KPT were also present during the meeting.