KARACHI: The traders, shipping companies and freight forwarders have held a joint meeting to discuss the obstacles being faced by them in carryout their day-to-day business activities.
The meeting was attended by Asif Nisar, member of Sub-Committee KCCI, Faisal Khan, member of Sub-Committee Ports, Shipping and multi-modal transport-KCCI, Haji Asif Chamdia, member managing committee-KCCI, Khalid Khan, President Karachi Goods Carrier Association, Chaudhry Amjad-member PIFFA and others.
During the meeting, the member Sub-Committee Asif Nisar stated that the importers’ community is really tired of the unrealistic charges that are being charged by the shipping lines and stated that few shipping lines including Universal Shipping and Baltic Shipping are charging unfair with the importers.
Haji Asif Chamdia has raised the issue regarding the non-availability of the packing machines especially the hydraulic packing system during the cargo packing system.
Faisal Khan-member of Sub-Committee stated that the delay in the issuance of the Delivery Order (DO) causing lot of issues, due to which a lot of delays are confronted as well and stated that after 3:00 pm in the afternoon they refuse to issue the DO.
Khalid Khan stated that the transporters are being harassed by the agencies and said the transporters are also facing the problem of roadside ‘mugging’, in which many of the officials are also included.
He also stated that there is some Section of 299 at which they lock up the drivers and then they ask for money to release them.
Khan further said that the transporters have made low rate of the local transportation by 18 percent and stated that they will further lower the rates to 30 percent.
Chaudhry Amjad of Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA) stated that every shipping line charges are as its own in respect to this PIFFA faces all the comments and complaints adding that even PIFFA has some issues that it would like to discuss with the Chamber.
He further stated that the President KCCI Ifthikar Vohra has welcomed it’s delegation to discuss the issues accordingly and after the PIFFA can work collectively to resolve the shipping issues that are being faced currently.
Muhammad Rizwan of Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) stated that the terminal authorities with respect to other operators are providing seven working days as that of five working days by the others.
He further said that there are certain standards and bar codes and to meet up these standards, the QICT authorities need specific packing machines and materials.
