The last 10 months of current financial year, July 2013 to April 2014, has remained very productive, performance wise, for the Karachi Port Trust. The port handled 5.9 percent more cargo during the first 10 months of present financial year 2013-14 in comparison to the same period of the last financial year 2012-13. The total cargo, comprising bulk, liquid bulk and general, handled by the port at the close of April, this financial year, was 34.097 million tonnes whereas it closed last financial year in April at 32.198 million tonnes.
The dry cargo handling of the port during the said 10 months of financial year 2013-14 also recorded a gain of five percent to close in April at 23.382 million tonnes, whereas it remained at 22.269 million tonnes in the corresponding period of last financial year.
The liquid bulk cargo has also shown improvements and recorded a gain of 7.92 percent during the 10 months of financial year 2013-14 to close at 10.715 million tonnes in April 2014, whereas it was 9.929 million tonnes during the corresponding period of last year. Break-up of dry cargo shows that KPT has handled 6.72 percent more dry general cargo during the period this financial year to remain at 17.872 million tonnes at the close of April, whereas the port handled 16.747 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.
A similar upward trend is seen in the containers handling at the port. The port handled 5.47 percent more containers (quantified in Twenty Equivalent Units-TEU) this financial year at the close of April to remain at 1.325 million TEUs, whereas it remained last year during the same corresponding period at 1.256 million TEUs. The ship handling has also remained phenomenal as 1,380 vessels called at Karachi Port during the first 10 months of financial year 2013 - 14, whereas during the same period last year the port handled the call of 1,322 vessels, showing a hefty improvement by 4.39 percent. This year port handled 689 container, 138 bulk cargo, 189 general cargo and 364 oil tanker ships during the 10 months of financial year 2013-14 ending in April. During the same corresponding period last year, the port handled 648 container, 172 bulk cargo, 156 general cargo and 346 oil tanker ships. Major gain is seen in the handling of general cargo ships which increased by 21.15 percent.
The port, under the Chairmanship of KPT Vice Admiral Shafqat Jawed, is all set to achieve even higher milestones. It surely reflects on the friendly policies of government towards trade and commerce as well as the port and shipping sector. Hence, KPT sees a more vibrant future.-PR