Gwadar Port to be operational in June: Babar Ghauri
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KARACHI: Gwadar Port will be operational after the completion of dredging in June this year and the President General Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate this port, said senator Babar Khan Ghauri, federal minister for ports and shipping.
ââ¬ÅDredging of the navigational channel at 14.5 draught will be completed in June this year,ââ¬Â the minister said. ââ¬ÅThe work on other chain facilities was also in final phase.ââ¬Â ââ¬ÅWe would finalise the selection of private port operators within one month to start port operations after two months,ââ¬Â he said. Talking to the media after inaugurating the media cell set up at Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) building here Wednesday, the minister said the government is expecting a huge foreign direct investment through Gwadar port.
The government is trying to provide maximum incentives and facilities to the investors at Gwadar, he added.
The federal minister for ports and shipping said Gwadar Port would be one of the leading ports of the region where mother ships would be calling. This would make it a cost competitive port as a larger ship bringing big volume of cargo would cost less to the port user in terms of per tone port charges.
To a question, he said the government was encouraging the employment of local people in various mega projects in Baluchistan including Gwadar port.
ââ¬ÅPresident Musharraf is very sincere and serious to change the life style of people of Baluchistan through record development,ââ¬Â he said.
Highlighting the performance of his ministry over last couple of years, he said besides making Port Qasim and KPT services cost effective in the region, other achievements included the launching of many affiliated projects worth billions of rupees. Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) had been totally turned around, he added.
ââ¬ÅPNSC once considered a dead organization earned more than Rs 3 billion in 2004-05,ââ¬Â the minister said adding that two oil tankers were also inducted in its fleet during last fiscal year. Other two tankers and one bulk cargo ship would be inducted within a year, he added.
When his attention was drawn to the delay in the planned Karachi-Mumbai ferry service, the minister said it would be started as soon as new shipping protocol between Pakistan and India was signed.
ââ¬ÅFrom Pakistani side everything is clear. There are now positive signals from other side. Most likely, we go to India next month to ink this important agreement,ââ¬Â he said. He informed the media that three licenses were already issued to private firms to operate the ferry service and more could be issued if the situation demanded.
ââ¬ÂThe shipping protocol had been approved by federal cabinet and hopefully would be signed either late this month or earlier May with India,ââ¬Â he said.
Shipping protocol would help Pakistan and India to lift cargo from each other's ports for third party consignment.
He said absence of such a protocol had brought about huge financial losses to PNSC previously, which he thought, could be avoided in the presence of the shipping protocol. Regarding ferry services and issuance of licenses, he said it was linked with the formal agreement between Pakistan and India on shipping protocol. ââ¬ÅOnce shipping protocol is signed by both Pakistan and India then ferry services would be commenced from Karachi to Mumbai.ââ¬Â He said licenses for ferry operation from Karachi to Mumbai had been issued to the interested parties. He said that any party could acquire ferry license and there was no restriction in this regard. He said an American private firm was investing around Rs 1 billion on project, which would also leash out economic activities in the area on grand scale. He said Food Street would be completed within next 6 months. Staff Report
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