KARACHI: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhary has said that Pakistan is considering establishing a new ‘Energy City’ and a multipurpose terminal at Port Mohammad Bin Qasim (PMBQ) as part of a broader push to strengthen the country’s blue economy.
Speaking with a delegation of port terminal operators, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the government intended to provide maximum facilities to existing investors to expand maritime trade infrastructure.
“He referred to the establishment of ‘Energy City,’ which would include bonded storage facilities for different types of energy,” Chaudhry’s office said, adding that various potential locations were under consideration for the project.
“The Minister for Maritime Affairs encouraged terminal operators to constitute consortia and invest in the Energy City project and also play a role in the development of a multipurpose terminal at Port Qasim.”
Pakistan has seen a surge in port activity as vessels divert from Gulf transshipment hubs due to disruptions caused by the US-Iran war and Tehran’s counterattacks on Israel as well as US and commercial interests in the Gulf, with cargo volumes rising sharply at key Pakistani ports.
“Recently, decades-old, some 50-year-old containers and pallets have been removed from the premises of the Karachi Port Trust, which has reduced congestion at the port and improved efficiency,” Chaudhry said, describing it as part of efforts to make port operations more efficient and improve cargo handling.
During the meeting, the terminal operators urged a reduction in taxes and simplification of the tax system, according to Chaudhry’s office.
They requested the government to give port services the status of a regular industry on the lines of the telecommunications sector to make the investment and regulatory environment more conducive.
“The government would take all possible steps to resolve business issues and facilitate business activities at ports,” the minister assured the delegates.
