KARACHI, March 26 The Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) has received the largest ever container vessel to call at country's ports. With a carrying capacity of 6,039 boxes Wan Hai 605 belongs to South Korean shipping line.

The vessel with 40-meter beam and GRT 66,197 tons was accommodated on berth at East Wharf of the Karachi Port. During its stay the vessel is expected to load, unload 3,000 boxes.

With the arrival of large sized vessels importers and exporters would enjoy benefits accruing from economies of scale. This will also help the KPT to generate more revenue on increased tonnage.

Speaking on the occasion chairman PICT Capt Haleem Siddiqui said that the terminal has completed its all development phases at an investment cost of $150 million.

The terminal now could handle large sized vessels because the Karachi Port has deepened the approach channels and the draft of the berths. The KPT also managed to enhance the handling capacity of the port by inducting two modern tugs and is striving hard to meet port users' requirement for rapid clearance of cargo.

He claimed that PICT was the only container terminal in the country to be fully owned by Pakistanis and is also the only one to be listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange.

The terminal has been financed by the International Finance Corporation - a member of the World Bank group, and is also first private sector project to be financed by the Opec fund for international development.

He said that PICT has also installed a state-of-the-art container scanner for non-intrusive examination of cargo.