KCCI urges speedy auction of stranded containers

KARACHI: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday urged Pakistan Customs to ensure speedy auction of cargo stranded in thousands of containers at the port to avoid congestion, a statement said.
KCCI President Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra said that representatives of Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT), Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), and Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT), during a meeting, sought KCCI’s assistance in convincing the Customs authorities to quickly hold auctions of the containers which have been lying at the ports for many years, resulting in causing severe blocking at the ports.
KCCI president stated that the chronic problem of stuck-up containers requires concrete measures on a sustainable basis to resolve the issue of prolonged delay in completing action under the Customs Act within a specified timeline.
He recommended that a dedicated auction yard should be allocated for regular auction of un-cleared cargo after every 15 days with a view to speedily deal with port congestion, while a committee should be formed comprising representatives of Karachi Chamber, terminal operators, customs and port officials to monitor the overall progress.