Govt seeks to streamline cargo clearance at ports

KARACHI: The government on Saturday held a high-level meeting to address cargo clearance issues at the country’s ports, aiming to improve trade efficiency.

Maritime Minister Qaisar Ahmed Sheikh chaired the meeting, which brought together representatives from customs, shipping agents, terminal operators, and the Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

The meeting focused on reducing clearance times and facilitating trade, according to a statement. Minister Sheikh emphasized the importance of coordination among stakeholders to streamline processes and ease the burden on businesses.

The statement added that besides discussing various issues, the maritime affairs minister also talked about improving the ease of doing business and coordination amongst all stakeholders to resolve the existing issues and facilitate and reduce the time taken in the clearance of cargoes.

The meeting was held under the directions of the prime minister, and the participants discussed resolving trade-related issues faced by trade bodies.

The participants of the meeting included: Chairperson of the KPT Syed Syedain Raza Zaidi; DG Ports and Shipping Alia Shahid; representatives from the Karachi Customs Agents Association headed by Mr Mehmood ul Hassan; Chairperson of the All Pakistan Custom Agent Association Maqbool Malik; Vice President of the FPCCI Asif Sakhi; former vice president of the FPCCI Khurran Ijaz; Collector Customs Enforcement KPT Omer Shafique; and representatives from terminal operating companies, the KICT, KGTL and SAPT.