Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has formally inaugurated Pakistan’s high-tech deep water terminal, Hutchison Ports Pakistan, which has been developed with the investment of $1.8 billion.
Speaking as a chief guest, PM said that the terminal has been developed on the model of Public Private Partnership (PPP) which brings investment, technology and operators along with high standard service quality to the customers.
The deep sea water project will be expanded with the integrated power project with four power plants of 400 MW along with an LNG terminal and desalination plant of 50 million gallons.
PM added that the government is likely to allocate funds for the completion of external parts of the project including elevated bridge and expressway through Public Sector Development Projects (PSDP).
“Ports in general, and Hutchison Ports Pakistan, in particular, are an integral part of Pakistan’s economic development and will contribute significantly to change Pakistan’s economic landscape for the better,” he added.
The deep sea projects are instrumental to the economic growth at times when the country is witnessing high GDP along with consistent development of infrastructure through China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Besides this port, the Gwadar Port is very much operational while Port Qasim is being developed as an energy terminal for meeting energy needs of the country. Further, there are four new energy-based projects in the pipeline that will be completed and operational in the coming months.
The port is also South Asia’s First Container Terminal having a capacity of handling 3.1 million TEUs cargo per annum as against the overall handling capacity of other terminals that stood at 2.5 million TEUS. The terminal is one of the most advanced in the region, having broken its own productivity record four times and serviced some of the largest containerships in the world since test operations began on 9 December 2016. Its high performance is expected to raise Pakistan’s global trade competitiveness and set a strong foundation for further economic growth.
Unlike other ports, Hutchison Ports Pakistan is capable of handling biggest cargo ships available in the world. It already received the biggest ship in the history of Pakistan.
The ceremony was led by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, demonstrating the importance of the terminal to Pakistan’s development. Also present were Minister for Maritime Affairs Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo; Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair and the Chairman of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar.
Captain Syed Rashid Jamil, General Manager and Head of Hutchison Ports Pakistan, noted the terminal’s advanced characteristics and concluded by affirming that Hutchison Ports Pakistan already plays an important role by creating the conditions for accelerated trade and will further magnify Karachi’s potential, transforming it into a prime Asian hub for trade and transport activities.
Furthermore, the terminal will launch a new regional operations center in December 2018, allowing it to engage in remote ship planning for ports in other markets that are part of the Hutchison Ports network. In short, the facility’s technological advantages significantly reduce cycle times and provide substantial cost savings to exporters and importers.
The capital-intensive mega-development projects such as Hutchison Ports Pakistan will enable optimized trade, supporting the national economy.
?Great
Good step keep it up #pakistan
its a good topic but the pictures tells the different story when it’s stating a protest.
LOL! Correct Saracen, it seems like containers being put up in Islamabad for blocking the democratic right of the people of Pakistan to protest by the democratic government of the time — whoever it was.
ProPk — if it was not funny, it would be really sad . . .
Lollol
its a good topic but the pictures tells the different story when it’s stating a protest.