KARACHI: In a letter written to Ministry of Ports and Shipping, importers from Lahore stressed to make it certain that port handlers immediately clear containers stuck-up at Karachi port due to the transporters’ strike previous month, sources said.
One of the Customs Clearing Agents working at the Lahore Dry Port claimed that goods worth billions of rupees were stuck up at Karachi port.
He said that his shipment had arrived on Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) port more than a month ago but the port handlers could not confirm the date of grounding the container. He said that in a letter to the Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping, they have asked the authorities to take notice of the heavy congestion on ports.
He said that they appealed to the Ministry to make sure that port handlers have enough equipment to complete the job. He said that importers have also demanded that a circular should be issued by the port handlers confirming the waiver of demurrage and start the charges at port from the date of container grounding instead of IGM date. He added that they also urged the Ministry to ask shipping lines to waive off the detention of containers delayed due to PICT and KICT congestion.
In the letter, importers said that an immediate action will provide the relief to all importers upcountry. They also said that 50 percent imports are based on subsequent export after value addition. Delay at import stage by port handlers is directly or indirectly affecting the export too.
