Customs official says the move would give boost to business activity at port, increase revenue and generate jobs
LAHORE: The National Logistics Cell (NLC) has started a container-train service for bonded and non-bonded freight carriage between Karachi and Lahore at the Mughalpura Dry Port.
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According to NLC, the container-train service has been started to facilitate importers and exporters who use the dry port.
The NLC sources said that the port has a great potential and the NLC would do its utmost to exploit the potential, putting all possible efforts and using all the available resources.
Lauding the service, Lahore Customs Clearing Agents Association President Agha Iftikhar told Customs Today, “Initially, we have been facing container fare issue with the cell. The rates offered by the cell are not affordable.”
He added that a meeting between the association and NLC has been arranged in this regard. He hoped that the issue would be resolved in the meeting, adding that it would be feasible for both traders and NLC.
He said that NLC has set Rs 80,000 fare for a 20-feet container while 40-feet container will be carried for Rs 1,25,000.
“While we have demanded Rs 80,000 for a 40-feet container and Rs 55,000 for 20-feet container.”
The Customs top officials have also praised the move.
A customs official said that the provision of the service was a welcome step. He said that this would give boost to the business activities at the port which would not only increase revenue, but also generate jobs at the port.
Around five months back Pakistan Railways (PR) Minister Saad Rafique had managed to arrange the freight-train service for imports and exports from the Mughalpura Dry Port.
The minister had said the freight trains would not be discontinued and more trains would be added for this purpose. However, the PR freight train facility could not last long, which according to the Customs Agents Association had suffered business activity at the port.
On the other hand, a PR official, on condition of anonymity, said the importers and exporters were unable to provide the required weight for the train to carry on.
“We cannot run the freight trains for limited weight putting the already fragile department to more losses for nothing. If the importers and exporters manage to provide us the required weight we are ready to run the freight train service.”
Given the setting of things, it will be interesting to see how the NLC will be able in maintaining the container-train service at the dry port.
