‘Vessels, ships procured or purchased must be exempted from ST’

KARACHI: Standing Committee meeting on Maritime Affairs met under the Chairmanship of Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA.

Taking up different agenda items related to the attached departments of the ministry, the Chairman stressed that the committee represent the will of the people and is here to help the Government / Executive in making the departments more efficient and stronger.

While having the follow up on the recommendations made in the previous meeting, the committee again recommended for the permanent chairman of PNSC.

A letter of recommendation will also be written to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Standing Committee noted that PNSC is the National flag Carrier of Pakistan and is a reputed player in the global maritime transportation industry. As there is practice en-vogue in other countries that the procurement and purchase of vessels are exempted from different kind of taxes especially sales tax.

In order to encourage and boost the shipping sector and in particular PNSC, it was unanimously recommended that vessels and ships procured or purchased in future should be exempted from sales tax, and on this pattern the salaries of seafarers sailing of national flag should also be given exemption of income tax. The committee also recommended that the import/trade policy may be amended to give first right of refusal in order to empower the national fleet.

The committee noted that PNSC should contribute in a meaningful manner in the CSR fund by involving the youth and qualified people of the local community.

Although the committee showed its reservations on the revamping and selling of vessels, it was recommended that the vessels should be disposed of as soon as it reaches its age of retirement.

The committee also stressed that there should be a uniform policy of people being employed on daily wages or on contract basis. People with skill should be kept in the organization by offering them good packages. And it was also stressed that there should be no witch hunt in the name of reforms being carried out.

The Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh told the committee that as with the case of other organizations and to comply with the international requirements all organizations in MoMA such as KPT and PQA are made SOEs (State Owned Enterprises) compliant.

Besides the Chairman, Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Arshad Sahi MNA, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan MNA, Khurram Munawar Manj MNA, Hassan Sabir MNA, Syed Rafiullah MNA, Mohammad Usman Badani MNA, Pullain Baloch MNA, Secretary MOMA, Chairman PQA and Senior Officers from MoMA and attached departments attended the said meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025