The Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has decided to establish an additional storage capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes to facilitate growing cement and clinker exports.
The PQA chairman informed a high-level meeting on Thursday that a proposal had already been submitted to the PQA Board for approval. He also assured the participants that repair work on the existing storage facilities would be completed by December 2025.
The meeting of the Task Force on enhancing cement and clinker exports was chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan. It was attended by Prime Minister's Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, businessman Arif Habib, representatives of PQA, Karachi Port Trust (KPT), State Bank of Pakistan, Board of Investment, Gwadar Port Authority, and senior government officials.
The Task Force briefed the meeting on progress and ongoing initiatives. Akhtar Khan stated that two additional multi-purpose berths at Port Qasim would be completed soon and directed the PQA to provide a clear timeline for their establishment.
The KPT chairman informed the meeting that berths numbered 10 to 17 would be completed by April 2026.
Akhtar Khan also directed the State Bank of Pakistan to coordinate with Pakistan's Ambassador in Dhaka to obtain a list of Bangladeshi cement importers. He emphasised that such a list would facilitate Letters of Credit for Pakistani banks operating in Bangladesh and enhance the competitiveness of Pakistani cement.
To further streamline operations, Akhtar Khan constituted a sub-working group comprising representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, KPT, and Arif Habib. The group will identify land near the Karachi Northern Bypass for establishing truck marshalling yards. He underscored that the development of such yards would help reduce both the time and cost of cement transportation.
Reiterating the government's commitment, Akhtar Khan said exporters would be provided with maximum facilitation to increase exports. He highlighted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was working tirelessly every day to make Pakistan's exporters more competitive in the global market.
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