ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to ensure greater efficiency at Pakistani ports for quicker cargo handling and delivery, issuing the instruction at a review meeting on the working of the faceless customs inspection and valuation system, according to an official statement.
Pakistan has been pushing for export-led growth after stabilizing an economy that edged toward default in 2023, drawing support from close allies and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
With macroeconomic indicators improving following IMF-recommended structural reforms, the government is seeking to expand trade, offer landlocked Central Asian states access to southern ports at Karachi and Gwadar and upgrade port facilities through greater use of technology to mirror international best practices.
“The aim of improving and modernizing the customs system is to facilitate businesses engaged in exports and imports and to increase national revenue,” he was quoted as saying during the meeting.
“The administrative time required for customs inspection and valuation should be reduced to the minimum,” Sharif added. “With rising cargo volumes at ports, plan in an organized manner so that goods move from the docks to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
