KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday emphasized that the government is committed to support local industry and is working on friendly policies to enhance shipping and fishing in the country's waters enhancing the business for Karachi Shipyard.
He was speaking at a ceremony of inauguration of a 7300 ton capacity Shiplift and Transfer System at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW). Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi was also present at the occasion.
The Prime Minister said that this facility is a true testament of government's efforts towards industrialization, capacity building and self-reliance. He hoped that the drive towards higher grounds will continue in future and the facility will be used to the fullest in the role envisaged by the planners and maximum benefits will be accrued from the investment for poverty alleviation. He hoped that SLTS will be remembered as the precursor of the revolution his government is endeavouring for in the maritime sector.
The contract of the Ship Lift and Transfer System was signed under the auspices of Ministry of Defense Production with the funding provided by Planning Commission of Pakistan, as a PSDP project. The Ship Lift and Transfer System will provide docking and repair facilities to marine vessels up to 7300 ton. At one time it can accommodate 12 ships.
PM Imran inaugurates ship lift and transfer system at Karachi Shipyard
The facility will contribute to the productivity of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and will fulfill ever increasing demand of the shipping industry in the country. The works generated by enhancing the ship repair capacity will outflow to the public and private industrial sectors.
The Prime Minister congratulated Karachi Shipyard, Pakistan Navy and Ministry of Defense Production for setting up such a modern facility in Pakistan. He said that now Karachi Shipyard will stand taller in the regional maritime picture. The Prime Minister considered this facility a gift to the Pakistani nation, on its 75th Independence Day.
Earlier, MD KS&EW Rear Admiral Athar Saleem in his welcome address said that the project envisaged increase in the existing ship repair capacity and efficiency of Karachi Shipyard.
He said that the system brings in a revolutionary concept against the existing docking technology, which can at the moment handle and repair only one ship at a time. Advantages of the new facility are that a ship can be recovered from sea, transferred to any of the repair stations and the Ship Lift can then be immediately available to lift/lower next ship, thereby increasing productivity exponentially according to number of available parking spaces. This will significantly increase Karachi Shipyard's revenue thereby high tax returns and more job opportunity for locals.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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