ISLAMABAD, June 24: The president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Mian Akram Farid, has said a dryport would be built here soon at Margalla and it would play a vital role for industrial growth.

A port in the vicinity of the industrial sector was a long-standing demand from the business community and with the completion of this project, importers, exporters and traders from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Hattar Industrial Zone, Azad Kashmir and other industrial areas would reap great advantage.

Mr Farid expressed these views while talking to the delegation of Pakistan Railways, led by the Divisional Superintendent of Railways Mohaamad Ishfaq Khattak who visited ICCI.

He said the existing Chaklala Dryport lacked the required space and proper infrastructure and as a result business suffered a lot. “It’s location in the city created traffic problems and caused numerous difficulties for smooth operation.”

The ICCI president complimented the railway administration, in particular the Divisional Superintendent, for hard work and cooperation with the industrialists.

He welcomed Mr Khattak’s suggestion for public-private joint partnership for the operation of the Dry Port and promised to follow up.

He urged that the Railways administration should fix its tariff for goods traffic keeping in view the market fluctuations. He agreed to assist in the beautification of Golra Railway Station as an important heritage.

The Divisional Superintendent of Pakistan Railways, Mohammad Ishfaq Khattak informed the participants that they Dry Port project would cost approximately Rs29 million.

The port would be built on 13 acre area and will have a stacking area of 29250 sqft for containers and 19200 sqft area for parking of vehicles.

It’s other important facilities will include customs clearing agents, banks, telephone and fax and strict security arrangement. About 85 per cent work on the dryport has already been done and its completion is due on July 31 and formal inauguration on August 14, 2003.—PPI