May 31, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1424

ISLAMABAD, May 30: Pakistan Railways has announced a 50 per cent concession on transportation charges for all exportable goods from Taftan to Hyderabad and Karachi.

An official announcement said that 50 per cent concession would be available to all exportable commodities if transported through PR’s goods service from north to south and south west i.e. for Hyderabad, Karachi and Taftan.

This facility has been offered to the exporters to provide cost effective transport to make Pakistani exports competitive, the statement said.

Initially, Railways would offer around 25 to 40 wagons to carry the goods. Subsequently, the number of wagons would be increased if it received encouraging response.

Member, finance railways, Khurshid Ahmad Khan told Dawn that the scheme has been launched to provide an incentive to use trains for the transportation of their exportable goods. He said this package would reduce the cost to transport goods from upcountry to Karachi even below the transportation cost of trucks.

PR would also start special trains on the same discount rate if the traders are able to provide at least 30-bogey load from Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad to Karachi and Hyderabad so that they could save time and extra money on port charges.

He said that currently PR was charging 70 per cent charges on trains returning from upcountry to ports but now the return charges would be only 50 per cent. He said that from next year the PR would also involve booking agents to facilitate arrangement of goods and trains for its transportation.

He said the PR was even ready to offer special rates even lower than 50 per cent concession if an exporter ensures load of at least one train every day.

He said that exporters in industrial cities particularly Faisalabad and Gujranwala who export cloth, yarn and electric goods abroad could put together their consignments to arrange special train of 30-wagons.

The special tariff would be available to individual and small exporters but then timing of delivery would depend on routine train schedule.