Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has proposed establishing a business facilitation centre to bring port-related services for exporters and importers under one roof, in a bid to cut delays and streamline trade procedures.
The federal minister made the proposal while chairing a meeting to review progress on port-related projects.
The Maritime Business Facilitation Centre would bring representatives of relevant organisations together at a single location, allowing businesses to access multiple port services without visiting different offices, the minister said.
A dedicated focal person from each organisation would assist businesses, while an integrated system linked to the respective main offices would allow applications and cases to be processed and tracked, he added.
The initiative could reduce costs related to trucking, containers, storage, demurrage, vessel delays and administrative procedures, benefiting all enterprises, exporters, importers and particullary first-time users of port services, according to the minister.
The minister also said standardising procedures could improve fee collection and reduce leakages, while higher trade volumes could generate additional revenue from port services, cargo handling, customs-related activity and associated logistics.
The proposed centre is intended to improve coordination among maritime-sector organisations, reduce procedural bottlenecks and make port services more accessible to businesses engaged in international trade.
Junaid Chaudhry has called a meeting of government departments and maritime-sector stakeholders to seek their input on the centre's structure and operations.
The meeting will include officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Karachi Port, Port Qasim, Gwadar Port, the Marine Fisheries Department and Korangi Fish Harbour, as well as representatives of banks, shipping lines, clearing and forwarding agents, fisheries associations and other private-sector stakeholders.
The minister directed officials to consult all relevant stakeholders and incorporate their recommendations into the proposal to ensure the facility addresses the operational needs of exporters and importers.
