Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has made significant achievements in both operations and fiscal fronts over the last five months, said Ali Haider Zaidi, Pakistan’s Minister for Maritime Affairs.
KPT made significant cost savings of Rs602 million (over Dh14 million) in administrative and operating expenditures due to prudent financial management, effective use of resources, and cutting costs.
“Separating the procurement department from stores in compliance with Federal Audit’s advice, which is now focusing on inventory management, has led to a higher issuance of local purchase orders and enhanced financial propriety. This contributed to Rs130 million in cost savings and this is a sustainable cost-saving exercise, henceforth,” Zaidi said.
Under the guidance of the Minister for Maritime Affairs, the KPT authorities took a host of measures to enhance Pakistan’s visibility in the international maritime horizon, boost trade, revive the economic strength of the port city of Karachi, and establish the South Asian nation as a maritime hub.
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In the last five months, KPT also made dredgers named Ali operational, recommenced dredging of China Creek, repaired and made an operational new overhead bridge on Keamari Road, repaired Berth 4, and planted over 16,000 mangroves.
KPT said the plantation of mangroves is still continuing. KPT also started recruitment of women in the port security force for the first time to introduce gender parity and established daycare centres for female employees.
It also set up two modern fire tenders to combat blazes in Pakistan’s most populous city and also engaged land evaluators to reassess the value of real estate owned by the KPT to maximise its monthly rental income.
Activities of Karachi Port Trust
The Karachi Port Trust handled 80,191 tonnes of cargo comprising 61,641 tonnes of import cargo and 18,550 tonnes of export cargo during last 24 hours ending on Wednesday (26-05-2021).
The total import cargo of 61,641 comprised of 23,062 tonnes of Containerized Cargo, 11,151 tonnes of Bulk Cargo, 250 tonnes of Canola, 7,878 tonnes of DAP and 19,300 tonnes of Oil/Liquid Cargo.
The total export cargo of 18,550 tonnes comprised of 3,971 tonnes of containerised cargo, 2,690 tonnes of Cement, 5,939 tonnes of Talc Powder.
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As many as 1960 containers were handled out of which 1487 were of imports and 473 were of exports. 1487 import containers comprised of 617 of 20s and 430 0f 40s. Imports empty container was 0 of 20s and 5 of 40s. Export containers 473 comprised of 117 of 20s and 42 of 40s. Export empty containers were of 270 of 20s and 01 of 40s.
There were 06 ships namely X-Press Bardsey, Navios Sagittarius, M.T. Karachi, Marianne Danica, Kota Nilam and You & Island have berth at Karachi Port on Wednesday.