ISLAMABAD – A meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs washeld on Gwadar Port under the chairmanship of Senator Kehda Babar Baloch.Senator Muhammad Akram Baloch, customs chief collector, finance anddevelopment officials, Gwadar Port Authority chairman, administrators ofChinese companies and top officials of other departments participated inthe meeting. The committee was briefed on the preparations of Gwadar Port,Gwadar Free Zone and Pak-Afghan Transit Trade.
Senator Babar Baloch said that all arrangements to handle cargo shipmentfrom Pak-Afghan Transit Trade to Gwadar Port have been completed, while allfacilities had been made available at the Gwadar Port. Baloch informed thesession that works on Gwadar Free Zone was undergoing at a fast pace andwill be completed by the end of 2019.
He maintained that construction of offices, storage hall and cold storageon 60 acres of the free zone was in the last phase. The meeting was toldthat work on Gwadar Expressway was also underway. After the completion ofthe expressway, Gwadar Port will be linked with Makran Coastal Highway.Senator Baloch remarked that matters with Afghan officials had been agreedfor starting Afghan Transit Trade from Gwadar Port and trade would commencesoon from there.
The meeting was informed that the government would provide best facilitiesto local and foreign investors in Gwadar and that stringent measures hadbeen taken to provide security to the entrepreneurs. The senator observedthat Pakistan with the cooperation of China would open technical centers onthe coastal sites of Jiwani, Pashkan and Pasni with a cost of Rs12 billion.
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“This would equip the youth with technical education,” he said. Receivingcomplaints about the poor performance of port operation software system andfiber optic at the Gwadar Port, the convener directed the customs, GwadarPort Authority and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority officials tocomplete the work within two weeks and submit a report. – Bakhtar NewsAgency
