PM directs speedy container clearance, attractive tariffs at Pakistan ports as part of maritime reforms
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed officials to speed up the process of container clearance and ensure attractive trade tariffs at Pakistani ports, his office said on Monday, as the South Asian country undertakes maritime reforms to boost its economy.
Pakistan, which averted a default in 2023, is currently navigating an economic recovery path under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and has undertaken several reforms in various sectors.
A taskforce is working on sustainable reforms in the maritime sector to end the long-standing stagnation in Pakistan's maritime economy, according to the prime minister.
'Pakistan has been bestowed with a long coastline, sea and other unlimited resources,' Sharif was quoted as saying at a meeting of the maritime taskforce he presided over in Islamabad.
'A plan should be made to minimize the duration of the presence of containers at the ports,' he said, asking authorities to auction containers available at the ports as soon as possible to better utilize the port space.
During the meeting, officials informed the prime minister that a National Dredging Plan (NDP) has been formulated keeping in mind the country's needs for the next ten years. It will help set up a National Dredging Company for dredging of all the ports, according to Sharif's office.
A plan of action has also been prepared for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) through public-private partnership for the next 25 years. Similarly, a plant is being established in Gadani, Balochistan to dispose of chemical waste and other hazardous materials, while the Pakistan Maritime Port Act is in the final stages, which will implement uniform rules and regulations at all ports.
On the occasion, Sharif said the development of economy is linked to marine resources and access to them.
'The pace of installing the latest scanners at all ports should be accelerated,' he said. 'Trade tariffs should be reviewed to bring the country's ports to a competitive standard.'
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