Despite the global financial meltdown, cargo handling at Karachi Port rose by 8.24 percent during July-November 2009 due to, what the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said, "positive and friendly" economic policies of the present government.
According to details made available to Business Recorder, during July 1 to November 26, 2009 a total of 16.599 million tons of cargo was handled at Karachi Port against 15.336 million tons handled in the corresponding period last year.
Berths 10-14 are already under repair at the port but its impact was nullified by, what the official sources in KPT said, a "timely" decision of Chairperson KPT Nasreen Haque, who, through conducting essential dredging, readied Berths No 22 and 23 for cargo handling to utilise the port's assets at maximum.
According to KPT officials the two berths were lying almost useless for the last eight years and were being used only for the maintenance of KPT's dredgers and tugs.
A total of 11.495 million tons of import cargo was handled during this period, which includes 4.368 million tons of dry general cargo, 3.033 million tons of dry bulk cargo and 11.495 million tons of liquid bulk cargo as compared to last year's 9.542 million tons, including 3.160 million tons of dry general cargo, 2.687 million tons of dry bulk cargo and 3.695 million tons of liquid bulk cargo. As per the data, a total of 5.104 million tons export cargo was handled from July 1, 2009 till to date.
"During this period total imports and exports remained on the higher side mainly due to the positive and friendly economic policies of the present government," it said. During this period a total of 11.987 million tons of dry cargo and 4.6 12 million tons of liquid bulk cargo was handled as compared to the corresponding period's 10.735 million tons of dry cargo and 4.601 million tons of liquid bulk cargo.
On the container side, from July 1 to November 26 the Karachi Port handled 0.563 million TEUs whereas during the same period of last year 0.489 million TEUs were handled. As for the imports, the port handled 0.286 TEUs whereas exports handling was 0.277 million TEUs as compared to the corresponding period handling of 0.243 million TEUs of import and 0.246 million TEUs of export. During the current financial year the port handled a total Gross Rate Tonnage (GRT) of 21,582,419 as compared to the corresponding period of 19,424,407 which shows that Karachi Port enjoys an appeal for its users.