Karachi: Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has announced a waiver of demurrage charges on auctionable containers at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in collaboration with the port's private terminals. The Minister emphasized that this initiative is designed to enhance operational efficiency by allowing KPT to forego demurrage fees on auctionable and auctioned containers, provided they are cleared within seven days of the auction.
According to Radio Pakistan, this decision represents a strategic effort to alleviate port congestion. Junaid Chaudhry explained that the waiver is expected to facilitate Customs in accelerating the clearance process, thereby benefiting the trade sector by mitigating delays caused by containers stuck at the port. This measure is also anticipated to create additional space for transshipment cargo arriving in Karachi.
The Minister highlighted that the waiver is indicative of KPT's proactive approach to addressing congestion issues and underscores its commitment to boosting Pakistan's economic growth through active terminal participation.