Shipping activity at Port Qasim

KARACHI (APP): Two ships carrying containers and diesel oil were berthed at Qasim International Containers Terminal and FOTCO Terminal respectively. Meanwhile four more ships carrying containers, chemical, diesel oil and edible oil also arrived at outer anchorage of Port Qasim during last 24 hours. Berth occupancy was 65pc at the port where a total seven ships namely T.G Aphrodite, Pona,MSC Alghero,Tonr Fearless,Bahca, EX Quisite and Argent Daisy are currently occupying berths to load/offload containers, coal,Diesel oil, LNG and edible oil respectively during last 24 hours. A cargo volume of 121154 tonnes comprising 84131 tonnes imports and 37023 tonnes exports inclusive of containerized cargo carried in 3118 containers (TEUs) was handled at the port during last 24 hours.  

Piracha accuses SNGPL of
blackmailing CNG sector
ISLAMABAD (INP): Leader of the CNG sector Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha on Monday said SNGPL has been blackmailing CNG sector on the behest of some influential which will not be tolerated.  SNGPL has issued notices to the CNG operators in Punjab to deposit GIDC amount within 24 hours so that the company could consider resuming supply of natural gas which is crude form of extortion, he said.  In a statement issued here today, Ghiyas Paracha said that GIDC has been declared illegal by the Supreme Court therefore government has decided to make a law in this regard.  For the purpose a session of the National Assembly has been summoned on May 18th but SNGPL was quick to issue notices a day before the session which is amazing.
Rejecting the demand of SNGPL, he said that CNG filling stations have been kept closed since seven months pushing many operators to bankruptcy therefore they are unable to deposit any additional amount which has been declared illegal by the Apex court.
The gas utility is too much concerned about its profit and welfare of the shareholders at the cost of businesses which will be not allowed under any circumstances, he said.
He demanded of the government to take note of the highhandedness and immediately reopen CNG stations in Punjab unconditionally.

Itac applies cement duties
on Pakistan
CAPE TOWN (INP): International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) has imposed provisional anti-dumping duties of between 14.29pc and 77.15pc on Pakistani cement imports, up to and including November 13. This comes about 10 months after cement producers representing the industry in the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) submitted an application to Itac saying they are suffering "material harm" from Pakistani cement dumping. The companies comprise Afrisam, Lafarge, Natal Portland Cement Cimpor and PPC. Dumping occurs when companies export goods to foreign markets at prices lower than the amount they charge for the same product in their home market.
"Pakistan's exports to its traditional markets are declining and imports from Pakistan into Sacu increased more than 600pc between 2010 and 2013," Itac said. The commission made a preliminary determination that Portland cement originating in or imported from Pakistan was dumped into the Sacu market, causing material injury to the Sacu industry. Itac found the Sacu industry was suffering a decline in sales volume and output, as well as profits and cash flow. It had also experienced price undercutting and price suppression, it said.
Qamar Zaman, commercial secretary of the High Commission of Pakistan in SA, said the imposition of antidumping duties by Itac had "come as a surprise. This needs to be looked into (from a) larger perspective. Pakistan is the fourth-largest coal importer from SA and SA is by far the largest coal supplier to Pakistan.
"This coal is mainly imported by these cement manufacturers to prepare cement, which is being exported to many countries, including SA.
"Coal and cement both are voluminous products, which are freight-sensitive and Pakistan is located more than 8,000km away. If Pakistani companies can still compete in the South African market, it means there is something fundamentally wrong with the price structure of South African cement companies," Zaman said.

CCC to enhance manpower
import from Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (INP): A delegation of Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), a leading engineering and construction company of Middle East visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with Muhammad Ishtiaq Qureshi, former Vice President ICCI and assured that CCC would try to enhance manpower import from Pakistan for its various projects in Middle East. The representative of Souheil Sabbagh, President of CCC said that their company was one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the Middle East and provided a full range of project services right from project development to detailed engineering, procurement and construction to start-up operation.
 & maintenance in infrastructure development, oil & gas and water pipelines, petrochemical plants & refineries, power plants, marine works, offshore installations, mechanical installations, underwater structures and renewable energies.
He said over 160,000 Pakistanis have worked in Middle East and Africa and sent billions of dollars to their home country. He said many of them were associated with CCC for the last 47 years.
He said Pakistan was a promising country for business and CCC was looking for long-term business partnerships here. Giving a background of his Company, he said CCC was established in 1952 in Lebanon and its Managing Office was currently located in Athens, Greece. CCC was operating in 40 countries across 5 continents employing over 110,000 employees from over 85 nationalities including a large number of Pakistanis. He said CCC was interested to import professionals especially of civil works and would try to enhance manpower import from Pakistan for its various projects.

Dar assures to pay dues to
Mirani Dam affectees
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has assured Chief Minister, Balochistan, Abdul Malik Baloch that compensation to the Mirani Dam affectees would be duly paid and that the matter which remained totally neglected by the previous regimes during the last eight years, would finally be resolved by the PML-N Government.  The Minister received the Balochistan CM for a meeting here Monday morning discussing financial matters relating to the province. He said that the Mirani Dam compensation issue deserved sympathetic consideration by both the federal as well as the Balochistan provincial governments. A coordinated effort would help us amicably resolve the matter, Dar remarked.
It may be recalled that back in first week of April, on advice by the Finance Minister, officials of the Finance Ministry and Balochistan government team and reconciled figures regarding compensation claims.
Abdul Malik Balcoh on this occasion also discussed with Dar, matter regarding enhancement in Balochsitan's share in PSDP in the forthcoming budget 2015-16.
Finance Minister said the Federal Government fully supported development activities in all the provinces. However, the Ministry of Planning & Development and the National Economic Council were the right forum to take a decision regarding increase in PSDP share, Dar added.
Overall economic and security situation in the Balochistan province was also reviewed on the occasion.
Advisor Finance Division, Rana Assad Amin, Additional Secretary to the Finance Minister, Tariq Mahmood Pasha and senior Balochistan government officials accompanying the Chief Minister attended the meeting.