KARACHI, July 1: The Karachi Port recorded all around increase in port activity during 2003-04 by handling 27.813 million tons cargo showing an increase of 7.35 per cent over 25.909 million tons cargo handled a year ago, official sources said on Thursday.
It is interesting to note that while cargo handling went up by two million tons the berth occupancy remained at 50 per cent. This clearly indicates a shorter turn around time of ships, which could only be attributed to higher efficiency at the port.
Similarly, container handling at KPT berths and two private container terminals stood at 824,753 TEUs, which is almost a 100 thousand more than last year recording a 13 per cent growth. This is six per cent higher than the annual world growth in container handling which stood at seven per cent.
Higher port activity in any country signifies that an improved upward economic activity is taking place to give higher growth rate on industrial as well as external trade activities.
Another important feature of out-going fiscal is that an 11 per cent increase in dry cargo handling was recorded. The liquid bulk cargo handling increased by 4 per cent during the period under review, official sources said.
The ratio between the dry and liquid cargo handling stood at 0.99:1 during 2003-04, whereas in previous years this ratio had been higher than 1:1.33. This means that greater handling of dry cargo as compared to liquid cargo.
Although liquid cargo has its own peculiarities of handling but it requires less work at the port for discharging since it is directly pumped into the owner's storage tanks. Dry cargo on the other hand entails all operations including discharging, storing, stacking, accounting, security, customs formalities and delivery.
The quantum of dry cargo handling is the real test for a port to judge its operational efficiency and capacity because it also entails vehicular movement in the form of trucks and railway wagons which demand road network, railway lines and other infrastructure to manage this hectic traffic of cargo movement.
The upgradation and automation undertaken by the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in its different operational areas has not only made the port efficient but also user-friendly. Computerization and electronic documentation has contributed in a big way towards achieving this goal.
A fabulous achievement was made during this period by handing a larger quantity of coal imports, which rose by 297 per cent because of government policy of switching from oil based energy sources to coal.
This is a special achievement keeping in view that the Karachi Port being located in down town area is neither designed nor equipped to handle smudgy cargo such as coal.
As the efficiency of a port have a direct bearing upon the economy it also influences the cost the end consumer is going to pay for any product. The KPT reduced its rates drastically both in wharfage and storage to adjust itself to the government policy.
The Karachi Port, in line with government policy, has fully extended its support in rebuilding efforts of land-locked Afghanistan. It has provided some special facilities which is reflected in a growth of 13.5 per cent in the Afghan cargo handling during 2003-04.
The port provided two covered sheds and dedicated open space for Afghan cargo at nominal rates of wharfage and storage, the official sources said.
