KARACHI, May 25: Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri said on Thursday that the new shipping policy based on recommendations given by stakeholders would be announced in the upcoming budget.

Speaking at the “Millionth container handling ceremony,” at the Karachi Port, the minister said that the suggestions given by owners of former Pakistan flag carriers had been fully incorporated in the new policy.

He said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had assured to implement the new shipping policy in totality to encourage locals to bring their ships under the national flag.

The minister appreciated the hard-work put in by Karachi Port’s officers and workers in increasing the volume of container cargo which touched record level of one million Teus during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.

He hoped that the total container handling at the Karachi Port may exceed 1.1 million Teus by June 30, 2006, and if added to this 0.6 million boxes of Port Qasim the total would go up to 1.7 million Teus.

Mr Ghauri said there had been rapid growth in containerised cargo handling and as a result the ports had mechanised their most operations resulting in surplus workforce at the ports.

However, he assured dock workers that their jobs would not be snatched and they would be offered very attractive retirement packages so that they could start their business or get new jobs to ensure their bread and butter.

The minister said that during his recent visit to Greece the private sector had shown keen interest to invest in Pakistan particularly in the shipping industry. He lauded the KPT management for undertaking deep draft container terminal with 18 metres. Mr Babar said that according to his knowledge no where in the world a container terminal with such deep draft was presently operative or even being planned.

He also appreciated the working and efficiency of Port Qasim and said that even the PNSC had earned a profit of Rs3 billion which showed that the ports were doing business and also giving service to the nation.

The upcoming Gwadar port, he said, would have 14.5-metre draft and hoped that during next couple of days a meeting would be held with the new port operator. He further said that there had been no interference from his ministry in day-to-day working of ports and other departments.

He said his ministry did not accept political pressure and decisions were being taken on merit and technical ground. If we look at the performance, Mr Babar said, the Ministry of Ports and Shipping was the most active ministry.

KPT General Manager Operations Rear Admiral Agha Danish in his welcome address said that the global seaborne cargo volume had reached to 7 billion tons in 2005 from 6.7 billion tons in 2004 as direct result of globalisation.

He added that container handling throughput soared to 400 million Teus from 360 million in 2004 and was expected to further grow to 450-490 million TEUs in next few years.

Earlier, Traffic Manager Commodore Hussain Bin Khamis presented an overview of container handling at the Karachi Port. He said that containerisation was introduced in 1966 on international trade routes and the first container at Karachi Port landed in 1969.

KPT chairman Vice Admiral Ahmad Hayat and Director General Ports and Shipping Capt Anwar Shah along with the minister cut the ribbons to unload 1,000,000th container from a ship given berth alongside PICT terminal.