ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Pakistan Railways (PRs) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that he was ready to handover the affairs of IslamabadDry Port to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) on public-private partnership basis so that business community could be further facilitated in imports and exports through this dry port.
He said, “ICCI should submit a comprehensive proposal to him for this purpose so that it could be considered for implementation.”
The Minister PRs stated this during a meeting with a delegation of ICCI led by its President Ahmed Hassan Moughal which called on him in his office here on Tuesday. Senior Vice President ICCI Rafat Farid, former President ICCI Khalid Javed and others included in the delegation.
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. All possible measures would be taken to resolve the railways related issues of business community, he assured.
Speaking on the occasion, President ICCI Ahmed Hassan Moughal 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.
The President ICCI also highlighted various issues of business community that were needed close attention of Railways Minister.
SVP ICCI Rafat Farid and former President Khalid Javed 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.
They said that railways were still the cheapest means of goods transportation in the world and stressed that Pakistan Railways should improve its cargo train service on modern lines so that it could play effective role in promoting business activities. (INP/SB)
