20000208

PQA asked to reserve

one more berth for

liquid export cargo

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The exporters of molasses have urged the Port Qasim Authority to reserve an additional berth for loading of its export consignments as a lot of liquid cargo traffic will be shifted to Port Qasim after the closing of Oil Terminal OP-II at Karachi port for re-construction.

The Terminal Association of Pakistan (TAP), representing molasses exporters has asked the Chairman of Port Qasim Authority to allocate 'Marginal Wharf-II' exclusively for loading of vessels carrying edible oil and molasses because the existing berth MW-I would not be able to cope with the increasing traffic diverted from the Karachi Port.

TAP Secretary, Akhtar Sultan, in a letter to the PQA Chairman, pointed out that in view of the de-commissioning of Oil Pier-II at the Karachi port, the frequency of berthing of vessels at Port Qasim was expected to increase. The TAP has anticipated that a lot of molasses export operation would be diverted to this port.

He said that the terminal operators were fully equipped for storage and handling of molasses at their terminals in Port Qasim. But due to availability of only one berth for liquid cargo and long waiting period at the port the vessels to load molasses for export were reluctant to touch the port.

Sultan complained to the PQA Chairman that, the waiting period for berthing of liquid cargo vessels at Port Qasim had already multiplied and the consignees were paying heavy demurrages which was the loss of not only the consignees but also of the nation in terms of foreign exchange.

The TAP has requested for a meeting of terminal operators with the PQA to discuss and plan how to expedite the berthing of tankers in the forthcoming months at Port Qasim.