Lockdown period: NA body to discuss issue of commercial containers stuck up at ports

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs on Friday decided to take up in its next meeting, the issue of commercial containers stuck up at seaports of Pakistan during lockdown period, with heavy penalties imposed on these containers by foreign shipping companies and private terminal operators.

Committee's Chairman Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi presided over its meeting.

During the meeting, the NA panel discussed the issue regarding containers stuck up at sea ports of Pakistan.

The representatives of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), briefed the committee that these containers were stopped by the authorities at seaports without any justification, which resulted in heavy penalties, amounting in billions of rupees, imposed by foreign shipping companies and private terminal operators at ports on consignments arriving in Pakistan during lockdown period.

The committee was briefed that that although, an official order was issued by the Director General of Shipping advising shipping lines not to impose container detention charges on import shipments but these are not implemented and demurrage are also asked to be paid in billions.

In other parts of the region, container detention charges were waived off during the lockdown period of the Covid-I9, the committee was informed.

The NA panel "vowed" to take up this matter in the next scheduled meeting for the redressal of grievances of the stakeholders.

The committee deferred discussion on The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and The Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019, till the next meeting in order to have "more clarity from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice" on both these bills.

Committee members including Muhammad Yaqoob Shaikh, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Faheem Khan, Saifur Rehman, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Jamil Ahmed Khan, Lal Chand, Usama Qadri, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Tahira Bokhari, Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das, Jam Abdul Karim Bijar, Abdul Qadir Patel, Kamal Uddin, and secretary Maritime Affairs and senior government officials concerned, attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020