KARACHI, Oct 23: The Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) has initiated work on several development schemes.
The new MD of the KFHA, Dr Nawaz Baloch, acknowledged that despite being granted A-grade status by the European Union, the KFHA did not bear the look of an export-oriented harbour.
The KFHA has proposed to build a boat-builder yard road at a cost of Rs4 million, shops and offices (Rs.1.5 million), improvement of street lights (Rs1 million) and a sales and storage system of fuel and engine oil used by fishing boats.
D Nawaz Baloch is expected to hold a meeting with eight fuel and oil depot holders working in unsafe and poor conditions. Some of them have not even paid their land rent to the KFHA for many years.
According to sources, the authorities have prepared a proposal for these depot holders to form a joint venture company and obtain a pump from any POL company. If the negotiations with them fail, any Pol will be asked to establish a pump inside the harbour.
Another major project proposed in the current budget is construction of cabins/ markets for fish retailers and cutters at a cost Rs.5 million. The fish cutters and many small retailers who used to be scattered outside the fish auction hall in unorganised and unhygienic conditions were shifted outside Gate 3 & 4 by the previous administration of KFHA.
The most expensive and urgently required of these development projects is construction of a shrimp-peeling complex, which is strongly desired by the European Union, the largest market for Pakistani seafood.
However, the hurdle in initiating these projects is shortage of funds as the land rent issue with largest major land-holding agency, the Fishermen Cooperative Society has not been settled.—PPI
