President Stresses Reforming Logistic Infrastructure to Fully Tap Trade Opportunities

President Dr Arif Alvi Thursday said Pakistan needs to reform its logistic infrastructure besides developing human resources to fully tap the trade opportunities offered by increasing regional integration,

“The regional countries are eager to transport their goods to Gwadar port, and Pakistan needs to put in place a smooth supply chain system at the earliest,” he said in his address at the First Multimodal Logistics Conference 2022.

President Alvi mentioned that Uzbekistan had shown keen interest in transporting its commodities through Pakistan, while Turkmenistan and Iran were interested in the supply of natural gas.

He said an efficient cargo system in Pakistan was vital to improving the supply chain system, thus benefiting both the producer and consumer countries.

“Pakistan has immense opportunities knocking at its doorstep and we need to take advantage by implementing a multimodal logistic strategy,” he said.

He mentioned that the government had done a splendid job in improving the farming, industry, and textile sectors during the pandemic, however, he mentioned the need for a smooth supply chain system.

To bridge gaps between the manufacturers and consumers, he said, the policies should be planned in consultation with government functionaries and the private sector.

The president said adjusting to changing trends, overcoming supply chain disruptions, and relying on two or more modes of transportation could substantially improve the logistics system.

He said multimodal transportation required more communication and collaboration and emphasized training the country’s huge youth bulge into a productive human resource to achieve the goals.

Former Adviser to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain said supply chain inefficiencies could be overcome through implementing reforms in institutions.

He mentioned the reforms carried out in Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Railways, and National Highway Authority were aimed at the improvement of consumer services.

He said that to improve the efficiency of public organizations it was important for the ministries to work on policies only, while the regulatory bodies could function autonomously. He stressed on a level-playing field for all stakeholders including the private sector relating to the supply chain to benefit the consumers.