KARACHI, Sep 12 (DNA): Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi has said that Port Qasim has become the premier port of Pakistan.
Land was also sold at sea, KPT still has more employees than it can handle. The Hang Tong 77, which was stranded off the coast of Karachi, will not be allowed to leave Pakistan until its dues are paid.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at KPT House Karachi. He was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Maritime Affairs Mahmood Maulvi and other senior KPT officials.
Ali Zaidi further said that blue economy can change the destiny of the country. 80% of the country’s trade is from the port, 80% of the customs is collected from the port.
Shipping, ports, shipping are part of the blue economy, Industries in countries seem to be closer to the port so that production costs are lower, coal and oil all fall into the sea in the past, fishing has never been considered, the country’s economy is dependent on trade from the sea.
He said that for the first time in history, the ship got stuck and came out unbroken.
He further said that Port Qasim has become the premier port of Pakistan. Referring to the sale of KPT lands, Federal Minister Ali Zaidi added that in the past, lands were sold in water, people have not been getting lands for twenty years. KPT land will not be leased for pennies now. The financial audit of KPT has not been done since 2010.
The allegations against us are baseless. KPT’s workshop has been closed for the last 14 years, PTI was not in power for 14 years. The situation is similar in Port Qasim, people have paid for the land but they are still occupied. They are occupying the industrial land with a stay order. Korangi Fish Harbor has not had an MD for the last 12 years.
The first pressure on us after coming to power was jobs. The number of employees in KPT is more than before, all this work was done under the dictator. Institutions are already suffering from administrative crisis.
He said that Port Qasim earned a profit of Rs 67 billion from 1973 to 2018 while Port Qasim has earned a profit of Rs 44 billion from September 2018 to June 2021. We have stopped illegal activities during this period, solved other problems including water and electricity in Port Qasim, our goal is to make Port Qasim up to international standards.
5 new berths and 3 terminals are going to be constructed at Port Qasim, 55 million cubic meters is to be drilled in one channel, KPT, Port Qasim and PNSC will no longer take money from the federation. We have abolished the toll tax. Port Qasim will purchase hybrid buses and give gifts to educational institutions, Karachi University, NED, Dow and SMC University.
Port Qasim to KPT is going to start a new bus service and more than 40 buses will be procured for this purpose. We are going to built a bridge connecting east and west wharves through which heavy traffic will pass.
This will help reduce the heavy traffic congestion in the city. DNA
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