Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Federal Minister for Railways said that he is ready to handover the affairs of Islamabad Dry Port to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) on public-private partnership basis
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News / Online - 06th August, 2019) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Federal Minister for Railways said that he is ready to handover the affairs of Islamabad Dry Port to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) on public-private partnership basis.He said this during a meeting with a delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry that called on him in his office led by its President Ahmed Hassan Moughal.He said that as the control of dry port would go to ICCI , it would facilitate the business community in imports and exports.
He said ICCI should submit a comprehensive proposal to him for this purpose so that it could be considered for implementation.Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Pakistan Railways has already handed over the dry ports of Karachi and Lahore to the private sector and it was ready to handover the dry port of Islamabad to ICCI for provision of better dry port services to the business community. He said that Pakistan Railway would also improve its cargo train service to facilitate business community in transportation of goods.
He assured that all possible measures would be taken to resolve the railways related issues of business community.Speaking at the occasion, Ahmed Hassan Moughal, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that after the introduction of axle road regime, freight of goods transportation through trucks has increased by Rs.1500 to 2000 per ton due to which cost of doing business has gone up significantly. He said that Pakistan Railways should improve its cargo train service so that business community could use cargo trains as preferred mode for transportation of goods.
He also highlighted various issues of business community that were needed close attention of Railways Minister.Rafat Farid Senior Vice President ICCI and Khalid Javed former President ICCI said that there was a time when 75 percent of goods were transported through railways, but with the passage of time, standard of cargo train service has deteriorated due to which business community has shifted towards roads transportation.
