ISLAMABAD-The Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs was Friday apprised that 91 percent profit from Gwadar Port operations went to Chinese company whereas Pakistan’s share was only 9 percent, however maintenance/dredging of the port was the responsibility of Pakistan.
The Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs that met with Senator Rubina Khalid in chair was told that the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) was unable to carry out this most important obligation (maintenance/dredging) on annual basis due to non-provision of required funds.
While taking briefing on the regular maintenance and dredging facilities of Karachi Post Trust, Senator Saifullah Abro raised questions on the procurement of the hopper Barges in 2013-14 to which the official of the ministry replied that dredgers were not purchased at that time. Presently KPT has four dredgers, the official added.
Senator Saifuallah Abro recommended that a report may be sought on all the tenders issued and advertised and the reason why the tender is not executed and need to re-tender arises. The committee observed that re-tendering is an expensive process also if the tender is not executed timely the purchase cost increases with lapse of time.
The committee was also briefed on the designed depth of channel/berths/Ops/FMs, sanctioned depth, volumes and dredging priority and dredging platforms. The chairman committee stressed that the dredgers should be well maintained.
The committee was briefed that KPT has sufficient number of dredging platforms only to meet its own maintenance dredging requirements in Karachi Port/Berths. It was also briefed that the existing servers are relatively old and frequently require extensive repair/maintenance works even though it met the annual requirement however requires progressive replacement in next 03 -05 years.
While discussing the implementation status of the recommendations made by the committee relating to re-writing the “Pakistan Merchant Marine Shipping Policy” and “Pakistan Merchant Shipping Ordinance,2001”, officials apprised that the committee has been constituted comprising all key stakeholders to review and make amendments in the policy.
The meeting was attended by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Senator Muhammad Akram, Senator Saifullah Abro, Senator Nisar Ahmed Khuhro along with officials of concerned departments.