The federal government has intensified efforts to operationalize Gwadar Port within six months, with plans to present the operationalization strategy to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week.
Central Asian countries have conducted a comparative analysis of transportation costs through Gwadar Port versus other regional ports and are set to share their findings with Pakistan, an official source revealed. The National Logistic Cell (NLC) has also completed its task of analyzing logistics and will submit its data to the Planning Ministry this week.
During a previous meeting on Gwadar Port, the Planning Minister directed the NLC to perform a detailed cost analysis of transshipment routes, emphasizing the need for competitive pricing and efficient logistics to attract global trade. The minister will present the operationalization plan to the Prime Minister on Friday.
On Tuesday, a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal, discussed short- and medium-term strategies for operationalizing Gwadar Port. Participants included representatives from key ministries, the Gwadar Port Authority, and various embassies via video link.
The Planning Minister emphasized the importance of comparing Gwadar’s trade costs with regional ports like Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. He noted that Gwadar offers the shortest trade route to Xinyang, China, and urged private-sector proposals to enhance trade, assuring government support in facilitating private initiatives.
Addressing concerns about Gwadar’s infrastructure, the minister stated that a desalination plant has resolved water issues and most areas now have electricity. He highlighted Gwadar Port’s capacity to handle significant cargo, with a history of managing 600,000 tons of cargo efficiently.
The minister underscored Gwadar’s potential as a trade hub for Central Asian Republics, given its geographic advantage and capacity for imports and exports. He instructed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to draft a comprehensive roadmap for Gwadar’s development, focusing on industrial zones and optimizing traffic along provincial routes.
The meeting concluded with a pledge to create an actionable plan to fully operationalize Gwadar Port and transform it into a regional trade hub.
A recent meeting on Gwadar Port’s operationalization noted that despite its strategic significance within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the port remains underutilized, with minimal marketing efforts and reliance on government initiatives.
It was also highlighted that redirecting imports through Gwadar could reduce transportation costs for Central Asian countries by up to 45%. However, relevant ministries and departments have made no significant efforts to engage these nations. The Planning Minister criticized this lack of action, stressing that such a strategic asset is being wasted instead of being leveraged to transform Gwadar and Pakistan’s economic prospects.
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