ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has called for modernizing the country’s port infrastructure and streamlining the processes to bolster Pakistan’s competitiveness in regional and global trade, state media reported on Tuesday.
Dar said this at a meeting he presided over in Islamabad to review operations at Pakistani ports and proposals to enhance efficiency, reduce turnaround times and ensure smooth cargo handling.
Pakistan is currently making efforts to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost trade and investment alongside tourism as it slowly recovers from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
“The meeting covered measures to address port congestion, strengthen trade facilitation, and improve logistics systems to support imports, exports and overall economic activity,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
Officials say the South Asian country plans to cut container dwell time at its seaports by up to 70 percent to improve trade competitiveness and ease congestion. Islamabad last month reduced port charges for exporters by 50 percent at the second largest Port Qasim.
