ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi on Friday said that he has recommended registration of ships by 2030, ARY News reported.
Ali Zaidi, in his latest statement to media, revealed that the ministry is going to make major announcements in its new shipping policy. He expressed hopes that the shipping industry will play an important role in the development of Pakistan.
The minister said that he has recommended for registration of ships which would be exempted from sales tax and customs duty.
Zaidi further elaborated that the present government has completed an audit from 2006 to 2016 of the ministry with the permission of Auditor General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR). He revealed that the audit of Karachi Port Trust was also pending since 2007.
The ports and shipping sector was facing many challenges, he added. He also urged for bringing improvements in the industrial sector. The minister detailed that one jetty is functional at KPT out of three while an important session was held to make the second jetty functional.
He said that imported oil landed at KPT and later transferred to the refinery which was later supplied to other parts of the country through the same port. He raised objections over the imposition of same rent of oil supplies for the metropolis and demanded the provision of oil on lesser rates to Karachi.
On December 2, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi had said a new fisheries policy has been prepared to meet the challenges in this sector.
Talking to media on Monday, he said steps are also being taken to train fishermen properly.
Read: New shipping policy enables private sectors to purchase ships: Ali Zaidi
Earlier, Federal Minister stressed the need of taking effective steps to improve the fisheries sector while addressing a ceremony in Karachi.
In September, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi, had highlighted that the private sectors of the country were provided opportunities to purchase ships under the new shipping policy announced by the federal government yesterday (Wednesday).
Ali Zaidi, while talking to journalists, said, “Now, you run a ship with Pakistani flag without paying any customs duty. The port will give facilities on a priority basis to the ships belonging to Pakistan. The new policy will create any issue of demurrage. I will suggest the private sector purchase its own ship.”
The federal minister further details the significance of the new shipping policy, saying that the government has decided to run trade activities on ports in Pakistani currency. He spotted that the countries are run by its ports but not through its cities.
