Port congestion: Suggestions aimed at slashing container dwell time finalised

ISLAMABAD: To improve cargo clearance efficiency and easing congestion at the country’s two key seaports, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs has finalised a set of recommendations to reduce container dwell time at Karachi Port and Port Qasim.

The recommendations prepared by the Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim Authority in collaboration with other experts were presented to the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, here on Tuesday.

The minister instructed that the recommendations be forwarded to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) earliest, with directions to prepare an implementation plan within two weeks.

Acting Chairman Karachi Port Trust, Rear Admiral Ateeq ur Rehman, and Rear Admiral Muhammad Khalid, Director Operations of Port Qasim Authority joined the meeting via video link from Karachi.

The committee itself was established by the minister and is chaired by Umer Zafar Sheikh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, with representation from KPT, PQA, Pakistan Customs, terminal operators, FBR, and other relevant stakeholders.

The minister emphasised that the plan seeks to align Pakistan’s port operations with global benchmarks, enabling faster clearances, smoother trade flows, and reduced operational costs for businesses. He also restructured the committee, assigning it a new mandate as an implementation body responsible for coordinating with the FBR and monitoring progress within the specified timeframe.

The recommendations focus on addressing bottlenecks across the clearance chain, from delays in goods declaration filing, adjudication, and laboratory testing, to issues related to transportation, examination, auctioning, and gate-out processes.

Key measures include promoting early or pre-arrival filing of goods declarations, shortening the filing window, and introducing fines for late submissions. Virtual hearings have been proposed to speed up adjudication, while the use of rapid screening technologies and expanded laboratory facilities has been advised to reduce testing delays.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025