ISLAMABAD: The Gwadar Port has handled almost 184 ships of import and export of goods since 2008. Ships loaded with wheat, urea and food goods have been discharged at Gwadar Port.
According to Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bazenjo, a total volume of 26 ships loaded with wheat cargo weighing 0.963 million tons and 150 ships loaded with 5.366 million tons of urea cargo have been discharged and transported up country from Gwadar Port since March, 2008. Presently, eight ships loaded with local sea food weighing 708 metric tons has been exported through the port.
In an interactive session with Customs Today, the minister said that the operations of Gwadar Port were handed over to M/s China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) since 2013.
The port is supplemented with 2,281 acres of land for Gwadar Port Free Zone which has various tax exemptions/ incentives. After ECC decision in 2008, (to import wheat, urea and coal from Gwadar Port) more than 6.33 million tons of urea and wheat has been imported from Gwadar Port.
He said that the Ministry of Ports and Shipping would ensure provision of all required facilities at the Gwadar Port for the industrialists across Pakistan as well as full-fledged activation of Gwadar Port for smooth trans-shipment of foreign goods through the port.
He also stressed the need for efficient port operations in Pakistan as it took five to ten days or even more to get a container cleared from ports in Karachi due to manual examination and obsolete scanners.
Therefore, such container is released within a half hour at many efficient ports around the world because of their focus on automation and availability of smart scanners. Pakistani will always lag behind in development if our port activities are slow,” he said, adding that the business community should come forward to give suggestions on improving port operations.
