The Ministry of Maritime Affairs has issued directives for several measures to reduce congestion at Port Qasim, including the implementation of a “first-come, first-served” berthing policy and emphasis on better coordination between the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and port authorities.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry on Saturday, steps have been initiated to ensure the efficient handling of sugar and cement at Port Qasim.
A high-level meeting on ports was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, which reviewed the growing congestion situation at Port Qasim in detail. Representatives from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, TCP, port authorities, and the Cement Exporters Association attended the session.
Addressing the meeting, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry stressed the importance of improving operational efficiency, aligning port management with national logistics priorities, and ensuring effective coordination among all stakeholders.
The Federal Minister emphasized that all ports need to enhance their operational efficiency to ensure the timely and smooth unloading of consignments. He pointed out that improving these operations is critical to prevent port congestion, which can cause delays, increase costs, and disrupt the supply chain.
The meeting was informed that the loading of sugar was being done at a slower pace than the port’s capacity. The Federal Minister directed the Port Qasim Authority to improve the sugar loading process in line with its daily discharge capacity of approximately 4,000 to 4,500 tonnes.
The meeting also reviewed the directives from the Prime Minister’s Office, which included a recommendation to channel a maximum of 60% of sugar imports through Gwadar Port to ease the burden on Karachi’s terminals.
Participants also discussed berthing priorities and measures to prevent impediments to the turnaround time of vessels departing for exports.
It was unanimously agreed that all vessels at both Port Qasim and Karachi Port must be berthed strictly on a “first-come, first-load/unload” basis.
Both port authorities were directed to enforce this berthing policy and closely monitor discharge efficiency, while penalties should be imposed in case of undue delays.
The Federal Minister instructed all concerned organizations, including the TCP and other state importers, to coordinate their freight movement plans with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs prior to the arrival of goods.
