- The mooring of ships with a higher freight capacity inhibits KPT.
- The working group suggests improving KPT road connectivity.
- Propose Deepening the main channel to accommodate larger ships.
Islamabad: The lack of robust road and railway infrastructure is a major bottleneck for Karachi Port Trust (KPT).
Sources of the Ministry of Defense said that in Kpt, the absence of a dedicated cargo expresses the way of limiting the freight movement to only six to seven hours a day, while the overtaken rail infrastructure hinder the treatment of Cargaisons.
The depth of the main canal of the port is 16 meters, however, the inability to maintain this depth inhibits the mooring of the vessels with a higher freight manipulation capacity.
At the QASIM AUTHORITY (PQA) port, the depth of the main channel is 15 meters, which is still reduced due to disclosure, while excessive charges at the International QASIM (QICT) container terminal forced importers to S ‘Press more expensive alternatives.
For example, the average cost per twenty equivalent unit (EVP) which is a normal container twenty feet long (8 feet wide and 8.5 feet high) in Qict is RS14,000, against RS5,000 to KPT , which makes it less competitive.
Sources have declared that the working group on the sea redesign suggests the construction of a high highway to improve the road connectivity of the KPT.
Accelerated approval to deepen the main channel to accommodate larger ships is also planned.
The restoration of redundant rail links and regular dredging to maintain the depth of the canal is also offered by the working group.
A dedicated freight corridor between KPT and PQA to improve inter-sports connectivity also remains the need for the time.
The sources have indicated that the transhipment potential of Pakistan also remains unexploited, the KPT counting only 0.017 million EVP per year, against 14 million in Jebel Ali, Dubai.
It is also revealed that if the world’s best practices guarantee authorization within 48 to 72 hours, the Pakistani ports take up to 14 days, forcing traders to search for more effective options.
This delay leads to excessive freight costs for companies because they are billed $ 100 per day due to extended delays in the port.
The obsolete manual treatment, slow clearance procedures and high freight charges made the Pakistani ports not competitive.
The KPT-SAPT (South Pakistan Asia) agreement, which guarantees 60% of terminal activities through transhipment (the goods transfer process from one ship to another before reaching the destination), discourage more investments.
The off-arch terminals (ODT) which provide a space for the release / inspection of containers reducing congestion in ports are faced with similar challenges, in particular low regulatory monitoring, the appropriate lack of inspection of containers and dependence on International rented ports.
These problems have caused significant income loss due to smuggling, error and subinvolution.
The working group urged the need to rationalize customs and release processes to reduce delays; deploy high -end scanners and electronic seals for 100% inspection of containers; The integration of ODTs with the unique Pakistani window (PSW) for transparency; And the promotion of local ODTs to reduce dependence on expensive international ports.
It is said that the Global MAERSK navigation giant has already shown its interest in investing $ 2 billion in the Pakistani maritime sector, including the creation of integrated logistics centers, deep water container terminals and international recycling facilities Maritime organization ships (IMO).
A study of customs in Pakistan, due in March 2025, is expected to provide recommendations for improving processes.
Originally published in The news