Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghouri on Thursday informed the National Assembly that the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) has purchased two second-hand Japanese oil tankers at a cost of $78 million. In a written reply to the house, he said that the PNSC has recently concluded an en bloc deal of two second hand Japanese built Aframax Crude Oil tankers with Greek owners.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) of both ships was signed. The PNSC had taken delivery of first vessel on February 23 2010. The second tanker will be delivered to PNSC in the month of April 2010. For purchase of ships procedure prescribed by Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) was strictly followed. In this regard, offers were invited through PPRA's website as well as print media. The PNSC's Tankers Purchase Committee scrutinised and evaluated the offers. In this regard, the technical evaluation was also undertaken.
The purchase committee negotiated the price and terms and conditions with selected firms and PNSC Board approved equity investment, after which Ministry of Finance approved conversion of US $ into equivalent Pak rupees. As PNSC operates on the principle of "one ship one company", approval of Subsidiary Company's Board was also obtained. Subsidiary Company's Board and PNSC undertook Memorandum of Agreements, Payments, delivery and registration of the ships. Total purchase price of the two tankers (ships) is $78 million, he added.