The ECC decision, Mr Zafar said would incur extra costs on imports of urea through Karachi port because with a draft of 11.6 metres, ships with capacity of 35,000 tons could call and that will result in higher freight cost to the national exchequer. - File photo

 

KARACHI: The Gwadar Shipping and Clearing Agents Association has urged the government to continue with the policy of calling of ships with public sector bulk cargo, particularly urea imports, at Gwadar port.

Association’s president Abdul Rahim Zafar, briefing newsmen at the Karachi Press Club here on Tuesday, appealed to the Economic Coordination Committee not to divert urea import to Karachi ports.

He explained that import of 722,000 tons of urea through Gwadar port generated economic activity in the area and local people benefited a lot because such a huge quantity of bulk cargo demanded all sorts of logistic support, including long and heavy vehicles, trucks for movement of cargo within port area and dock labour.

It was only due to rapid operation and handling of urea at Gwadar Port in a record period of 40 days that it helped government ensure timely supply of fertiliser to growers across the country to meet Rabi crop demand.

The deep draft of the Gwadar port, Abdul Rahim Zafar said also helped government meet economies of scale because larger vessels with a capacity of up to 50,000 tons were given berths.

He said presently Gwadar port is the only port of the country which has a draft of 12.5 metres whereas Karachi port has a maximum draft size of 11.6 metres. If the ECC decision of diverting urea import to Karachi port materialises, it would deprive Balochistan of its right.

The ECC decision, Mr Zafar said would incur extra costs on imports of urea through Karachi port because with a draft of 11.6 metres, ships with capacity of 35,000 tons could call and that will result in higher freight cost to the national exchequer.

Against this, larger vessels calling at Gwadar port with bigger load and shorter time-frame saves millions of rupees to the nation, he maintained.

He believed that by continuing urea imports and other bulk cargo of public sector from Gwadar port would help provide jobs to locals in Balochistan and generate development activity.

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

SOME clearly thought that senior judges would prove just as easily ‘manageable’ as our seasoned politicians...
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.