Minister stresses swift work on one-door facilitation

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has ordered that work on a planned single-window hub in Karachi be sped up, according to The Express Tribune. The hub is meant to bring port-related business services together so companies can reach government offices without visiting several of them. The minister said that, following the prime minister's trade facilitation agenda, every service tied to port trade should be available from one location.

At a weekly review of ongoing projects, the ministry also discussed simplifying ship registration and fishing vessel registration, along with blue economy measures and tax incentives for fish exporters. Officials were updated on the National Maritime Policy and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, both still in formulation. The Shipping and Transshipment Policy, Port Qasim schemes such as the Sea-to-Steel Project, and rehabilitation of the Manora Workshop at Karachi Port Trust were also reviewed.

The minister told officials to keep projects on schedule and to focus on steps that make doing business easier in the maritime sector. The review also covered Gwadar Port developments and the Maritime Educational Endowment Fund, which supports maritime education and human resources.