District Nazim Gwadar, Abdul Ghafoor Kalmati talking to APP here Friday strongly rejected the apprehensions among some quarters regarding development of the port and said it would help bring Balochistan’s coastal areas into socio-economic mainstream and serve as a catalyst for fast track development of the province.

“Establishment of special economic zones, free trade zone, and Export Processing Zone (EPZ) would attract foreign investment creating innumerable job opportunities for local youth which would directly raise the living standard of their families”, he said

PML (Q) MPA, Sheikh Jaffar Mandokheil said Gwadar seaport is best in the region having geographic potential to link the region.

Gwadar port will not only open up the hinterland but also the people of Mekran who are associated with fishing and agriculture, especially growing dates will have access to easier transportation for dates export to foreign markets.

“Development of an integrated transport system-road and rail links to CARs and rest of the country will also enhance the local people’s access to new avenues for their development and prosperity”, he concluded.

The provincial minister for Fisheries, Hamal Kalmati said for landlocked Central Asian economies, Balochistan offers access to new resources and markets and the prospect of more rapid growth. He said there was no insurgency in the province, just a political protest, and there was a need to talk with Balochistan’s political leaders to take them on board.

He stated that everyone was cooperating with the development of Gwadar and Balochs need to be provided the opportunity to work.

Although there would be massive demographic change in Gwadar, he dismissed the idea that Balochs would become a minority in their own province. app

dailytimes.com.pk

The Prime Minister said that port charges in Pakistan are high in the region. Trade cargo handling is sluggish while storage facilities are deficient. This, he said, impedes the flow of trade and adds to the cost of doing business.

The Prime Minister said that since the transfer of Pakistan Marine Academy to Higher Education Commission in 2004 for turning it into a university / centre of excellence has not materialized, the possibility of shifting its administrative control back to the Ministry may be examined.

He said that Gwadar Port is the port of future and must be developed as per its Master Plan, positioning it as a hub for trade and trans-shipment in the region.

Gwadar is ideally placed to serve trading needs of Central Asia, Afghanistan and western part of China. For this purpose, he added, “we need to move fast on developing communication infrastructure”.

The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Communication to expedite construction of road network from Gwadar to up country to facilitate transportation and enhance port activity.

He said that it is a matter of concern that in terms of ports and shipping, Pakistan is not competitive regionally. “We failed to build on the shipping capacity that we inherited. We are now totally dependent on foreign ships for our external trade and pay billions of dollars in freight annually”, he added.

The Prime Minister said that existing port infrastructure in some cases is under-utilized. He said the Government has been paying guaranteed returns to investors but the potential benefits have not accrued.

The Prime Minister emphasized that future investments should be planned more carefully and after doing proper need assessment and cost benefit analysis.

“Our priority should be full utilization and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure. Financial viability and long term economic sustainability must be our guiding principle”, he added.

He said port authorities should evaluate and improve land usage in order to ensure that land assets are optimally utilized. He stressed that Port authorities need to become more transparent and accountable in their internal operations.

The Prime Minister said the government believes in good governance, prudent management and financial discipline in all state institutions.

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan is a country with great future. “In the years to come, as economy and external trade grows, we would need port infrastructure that is futuristic, reliable, efficient and cost competitive. Side by side, we should pay more attention to re-building indigenous shipping industry”, he added.

The Prime Minister also asked the Minister for Ports and Shipping to lobby for the permanent membership of International Maritime Organization through Foreign Office as well as on his own level, following this the possibility of sending a permanent representative at the IMO headquarters would be considered.

app.com.pk

As Pakistan’s first and only bulk cargo terminal in the private sector, the wastage that is witnessed at other ports is not seen in Gwadar. Here, using state of the art machinery, fertilizer is off-loaded and bagged quickly and cleanly. A port official says that since activity started in December 2008, there has been “no theft, no delays and no strikes.”

Pilferage and waste is as high as 5 per cent of total quantities in other ports, which has made some bulk cargo importers now look at Gwadar as an option. Currently, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan is importing fertilizer through the port. Unlike Karachi and Port Qasim, there are no delays here. “Demurrage on charter ships can be as high as $50,000 per day,” says one official. That is why it is making more sense to import through Gwadar.

Port Singapore Authority (PSA) which is running the port, however, says that Gwadar cannot realize its full potential until the M-8 highway, which will connect Gwadar to Awaran and Ratodero and onwards to Punjab and beyond, is built. It was first billed for opening in 2006 and now this has been pushed to 2011. The port was supposed to open when the highway was built. So there is understandable anger that this has not happened.

There is much anger in Gwadar, with many town dwellers saying that the fortunes of the city have evaporated with the departure of President Musharraf. Once touted as the “Dubai of Pakistan,” Gwadar is now being seen as the “Mirage of Musharraf,” by people who invested millions into the town in the hope that one day it would be the most happening place in the country. So far it has only been a long wait.

Property prices are an indicator of the gloom. In the most prestigious housing area of Gwadar, the Singhar Housing Society, estate agents say that property prices for a 500 square yard plot in Phase 1 have dropped from Rs2.4 million to Rs1.6 million. Similar falls have been witnessed elsewhere too.

But Haji Abdul Qadir, the president of the local Chamber of Commerce, disagrees with these sentiments. He says that Musharraf did deliver on many counts. For one, under his government the grand Coastal Highway was built which connected the town with Karachi, and opened up endless possibilities.

Qadir, who owns a seafood processing factory, has trebled production owing to the highway. “Before, it took three days for my products to reach Karachi. Now it takes one day,” he says. About real estate prices, Qadir says that speculators made a killing. “Now prices will once again rise, but at realistic levels.”

The chamber president says Gwadar’s potential as a port city will be realized once its deep sea port is fully operational. “People have to be patient.”

Gwadar still holds great promise owing to its location at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. Using binoculars, sitting at the grand Pearl Continental Hotel which is located on a mountain overlooking the sea, one can spot the super tankers that make their way in and out of the Persian Gulf.

But the hotel is largely empty as both tourists and businessmen have been scared away by political troubles in Balochistan. The hotel, says one employee, is “barely surviving.”

The Town Nazim, Abdul Majid, says that this is all false propaganda created by “vested interests.” Majid says Gwadar is one of the most peaceful towns in the country, and is almost crime free. “The problem is not violence,” he argues “it is corruption.”

Majid says that the writ of the local government continues to be challenged by the centre. He says he has no money to repair roads and drains and the Gwadar Development Authority, which is supposed to work on infrastructure, has limited its development works to the outskirts of the town There is some truth in what Majid says. It is true that the war being fought by the Balochistan Liberation Army has not reached Gwadar yet. There have been no attacks on installations or government functionaries.

But there is anger. In comparison to other parts of the province, there is a higher rate of literacy. But with that comes frustration, as there are few jobs available. Many companies and government departments have brought in people from other parts of the country and this has only fuelled resentment amongst the locals.

With its historic ties with Oman, the young men who hang around the Gwadar Club and on the pristine beachside, say that their goal is to find work in Muscat. Or to go to Karachi which is about 700 kilometers away.

Salim Baluch, who works at Gwadar Port, says he fears that the frustration of the young men can be exploited by political forces. He is one of the few who have got jobs at the port; otherwise too many outsiders are employed here. “You give an advertisement today and hundreds will answer it. People want work. But the government is doing nothing.” Many in Gwadar feel that the benefits that should come to them are being taken away by outsiders. This feeling is prevalent in other parts of the province too. So far, however, it has not translated into violence. Analysts fear that there may not be much more time to make amends.

thenews.com.pk

‘There are two key issues in port operations: one is land connectivity and other is land acquisition’, said Khurram Abbas, director PSA Gwadar, while talking to this scribe on phone. He said, ‘the land under possession of Pakistan Navy and coast guards has not yet been handed over to the Singapore Port Authority (PSA) for development of free zone and other port-related infrastructure.’

‘Without port connectivity through rail and road links, goods cannot be transported to Afghanistan, the Central Asian States and other regional countries’, he added.

Abbas said, ‘we need land for the development of a free zone for the port related facilities at East Bay of Gwadar. Without land acquisition, the PSA is unable to develop offices, residential facilities, port back up area in the proposed free zone and provide the traders, industrialists, businessmen, shipping companies, stevedoring firms, transporters with all possible facilities for doing business at Gwadar’.

The ball is in government’s court to make the port fully functional. Under the concession agreement signed with PSA in February 2007, the government was committed to hand over 923 hectares of land to the Singaporean firm by June 2008 on lease for the development of a free zone. The Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) is bound to acquire 350 hectares for ‘free zone area’ in addition to 584 acres in the possession of Pakistan Navy and 70 acres with the coast guards. .

Though 700 km long Makran Coastal Highway links Gwadar with Pasni, Ormara and Karachi, other regional linkages such as Gwadar-Ratodero motorway are yet to be completed. The motorway would link Gwadar with Indus Highway through districts of Turbat, Awaran and Khuzdar. Similarly, no progress has been made on the proposed rail link from Gwadar to Quetta and Zahidan.

Mekran coastal highway is the only link which is being used by a large number of trucks to transport urea and wheat from Gwadar to Karachi. In view of the port operations, which have boosted the trucking activity, the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) needs to build a truck stand in the port area.

In the absence of truck stand, vehicles are parked on roads and traffic congestion has emerged as a problem in the port area. The long-term solution would come after completion of East Bay Expressway project, which will ensure a smooth flow of vehicles and link the port to the National Highway network.

In this year’s budget, the federal government has earmarked a mere Rs30 million for East Bay Expressway project that would cost Rs3.77 billion, according to one estimate. Gwadar-Ratodero Road project, which will connect Gwadar port with the upcountry, is also facing financial crunch for its timely completion.

Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri recently told the Senate that the Navy’s occupation of the land was adversely affecting the functioning of the port and could force its closure.

The federal government plans to establish a tax-free zone in the new port city of Gwadar for which transfer of 584-acre land to the Singaporean operator is a prerequisite.

Analysts fear that the Singaporean firm may ultimately go to the Arbitration Court in London, holding the government of Pakistan accountable for defaulting on its contractual obligations. The ministry of defence has refused a free-of-cost transfer of the said land to the GPA for the proposed free zone.

Pakistan Navy had acquired 584 acres of land with seafront from Balochistan government in 1980. On refusal of the Navy to hand over the land, the previous government decided that Pakistan Navy would hand over only 30 acres to GPA for developing the road-rail-link leading to the free zone at Gwadar port.

The defence ministry has been of the view that GPA has long enough waterfront available for mercantile needs and development of free zone. It believes that 584 acres of land with Pakistan Navy is essentially required for defence of maritime interests and for the protection of the port itself.

Another issue in making the port functional has been the delay in fixing the port tariff announced after the arrival of first vessel at Gwadar port in March 2008, a year after the ceremonial opening of the port in March 2008. Ship agents and cargo consultants have been waiting for the announcement of port tariff to start doing the business. ‘We have already fixed tariffs and port charges, which are available on our website,’ says Abbas.

Only a competitive tariff could attract shipping lines to discharge cargoes at Gwadar instead of cruising to Dubai and Karachi and leaving for the next port for loading.

Critics say that the project has been the victim of lethargy and an unprofessional approach. They argue that the port was not ready to start cargo handling at the time of its inauguration in March 2007, as the handling equipment including gantry cranes, post-panamic rubber-tyre cranes and fork lifters were not installed. The installation of the handling equipment took almost eight months. The operationalisation of the port was also delayed to December 2008.

The port began cargo handling from March 15, 2008 and was declared officially functional last December. Ships carrying urea and wheat have so far berthed at the port which can a handle cargo ships up to 0.25 million tons.

dawn.com

KARACHI: The first ever Panamax cargo ship, Al-Fahdah, berthed at Gwadar deep seaport laden with around 650 metric tonne of dates, said the traders on Wednesday.

With the arrival of Panamax cargo ship at the Gwader deep seaport, the doors are opened for large vessels to arrive in the country, they added. The Panamax ships are the largest ships and are built to carry the maximum amount of cargo.

“The Gwadar deep seaport has proved that it can cater large size cargo ships and it is hoped that more ships carrying wheat and other goods from US and Canada will also be berthed here,” Chief Executive, Pakistan Horticulture Development and Exports Board (PHDEB), Shamoon Sadiq said while talking to Daily Times.

He said PHDEB has finally decided to start work on two of the three modern dates processing plants in collaboration with private sector stakeholders.

He said due to projects’ cost escalation, dollar increase and back out of investors, PHDEB has decided to start construction on one of the plants in Turbat. Under the trade policy three date processing plants will start by year-end one each in Sindh, Balochistan and North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) with a revised cost of Rs 148.6 million, said Shamoon Sadiq, Chief Executive of PHDEB.

“Around Rs 80 million will be incurred on each project as we have already provided land for these projects from respective provincial governments,” Sadiq said.

He said construction of two dates processing plants one each at Khairpur and Dera Ismail Khan at a cost of Rs 80 million each were expected to start within three months. “The projects will be completed within a year while the work on Turbat plant was about to start up-to-the-mark plant, which would be established on public private partnership (PPP) basis” he said.

He said these plants were being built along with cold storage facilities. Pakistan, with an estimated 730 thousand tonnes annual production, ranks fourth in dates production and fifth in its exports around the world.

Under PPP, the Sindh government has provided two acres of land for this purpose. The Sindh government also released Rs 21.946 million from the Export Development Fund (EDF) which would take care of the cost of plant machinery, equipment, vehicles and other civil works.

The Board had set 2009 as a deadline for completion of the Turbat plant, which would produce an estimated 2400 metric tonnes of processed dates during the 150 working days.

The proposed plant would be based on multiple products including pitted and stuffed dates and would increase the level of value addition.

He said the foreign made equipment would be bought from the local market if needed, adding that the Internal Financial Rate of Return of the project was estimated at 21.80 percent, the IERR at 12.30 percent and the benefit cost ratio at 1.08 percent. Presently, the country has 54 date processing units and country is the top dates exporter in the world after exporting more than 90,500 metric tonnes of dates during 2008-09, he added.

He said around 30 countries including China, India, Japan, USA, Canada, European Union were purchasing the country’s date produce.

He said buyers from India, China, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan had shown great interest in making deals for dates.

dailytimes.com.pk

nation.com.pk

All the groundwork in this connection has been completed and the power supply would start as soon as Pakistan finalized work on transmission lines, said the Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mashaallah Shakeri in a meeting with the Federal Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan here Thursday.

The Federal Minister told the ambassador that practical steps should be taken to implement the agreement signed between Pakistan and Iran last year to start bus service between Quetta and Mashad.

The Minister said that Pakistan and Iran shared a long history of friendly relations and underscored the need to enhance mutual cooperation in various sectors of economy. He said that Pakistan was working to develop new communication links with Iran in order to increase its share of trade with the latter.

He informed the Ambassador that a new road connection with Iran through Makran Coastal Highway will be opened soon which he hoped will go a long way in bringing the people of the two countries closer together. He said the opening of the new route will link Gwadar Port with the Iranian Port in Chabahar which he said could bring enormous economic benefits to the two countries. He also hoped that Iran would facilitate Pakistan as a transit to export its commodities to Turkey and offered the government’s full cooperation to the Iranian traders in their efforts to get access to the Chinese markets.

The Ambassador said that his country shared Pakistan’s desire to increase bilateral cooperation in various sectors. He said that Iran wanted to import citrus fruit and vegetables from Pakistan.

He also informed that Iran would soon start a special train service between Zahidan and Mashad for passengers coming from Pakistan. He said that his government was ready to offer Pakistan a soft loan for the construction of Nushki-Dalbandin section on Quetta-Taftan highway. He also proposed for the creation of a joint Pak-Iran shipping company.

The Minister said Pakistan would welcome Iran investment in its road sector and assured him about government’s support in this regard. He also appreciated Ambassador’s proposal for a joint shipping company and said that such a step would benefit the shipping industry in both the countries.

They also agreed on the need for a meeting between the Communication Ministers of the two countries in the near future in order to make progress on these issues. The Minister informed the Ambassador that a formal invitation in this regard would soon be extended to his country.

Secretary Communications Sharif Ahmed, Member Finance Zafar Iqbal Gondal, Member Planning Raja Nowsherwan and other high officials from National Highway Authority were also present on the occasion.

dawn.com ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/iran-to-provide-gwadar-port-100mw-free-of-cost/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/10-year-tax-holiday-for-gwadar-export-processing-zone/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/10-year-tax-holiday-for-gwadar-export-processing-zone/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 02:35:40 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=80 ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to provide ten-year tax holidays for Gwadar Export Processing Zone, Federal Minister for Industries and Production announced it during a press conference here on Wednesday.

‘A decision has been taken in principle and the plan is likely to be approved with the next provincial budget,’ sources told Dawn, adding that officials concerned were working on details of the proposal.

‘The decision will have a far-reaching impact on the economy of Balochistan, particularly of Makran,’ the sources said.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani confirmed that the proposal was being actively considered. ‘If the government takes a final decision to make Gwadar the winter capital of the province, economic activities in the port city will get a big boost,’ he said.

The sources said a bench of the Balochistan High Court would also be set up in Gwadar. They said that Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, Speaker Aslam Bhootani, the chief secretary and provincial ministers had held several meetings in Islamabad in this regard.

dawn.com ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-likely-to-become-balochistans-winter-capital/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-port-can-open-immense-opportunities-for-import-export/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-port-can-open-immense-opportunities-for-import-export/#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 02:27:39 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=70 ISLAMABAD, Apr 24 (APP): Adviser to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain said on Friday that Pakistan offers shortest access to Central Asian countries to the warm waters of Arabian sea and has successfully developed a modern deep sea port at Gwadar,at the mouth of Persian gulf.

During his address to the conference titled “Reliable Transit of Energy and its Role in Stable Economic Development and International Cooperation”, in Ashghabat he said that the Gwadar port can open immense opportunities for the import and export of petroleum and other products which will bring prosperity and the land locked countries,by opening the world markets to them.

He said that “Pakistan is willing to offer opportunities and transit facilities for the import of goods and products,at internationally competitive terms.”

Dr Asim said Pakistan’s historical relations with Turkmenistan are not new as Pakistan was one of the first countries to extend diplomatic recognition to Turkmenistan as an independent state in December 1991.

H said that Pakistan and Turkmenistan share a lot of common history,and have similar culture,traditions and values.

“The bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries in various affairs of the state speak of the trust and confidence we repose in each other”,he added.He hoped that this relationship can turn into a fruitful partnership in the future with mutual benefit to each other and thus help to the world mutually.

Dr Asim Hussain said that Pakistan is a country of about 166 million people,and has witnessed rapid economic growth in the recent years with the GDP growth averaging 6.5 per cent per annum in the last five years.

During 2008,Pakistan’s primary energy demand stood at 62.9 million tons of oil equivalent MMTOE which has grown at an annual compound rate of 6 per cent per annum during the past five years.

He said that during 20008 Pakistan produced nearly 41 billion cubic meters of natural gas,which has grown at annual compound rate of 7.7 pc over the past five years.

He said that at present the country’s natural gas consumption is met by indigenous sources only but it caters upto 50 pc of our total requirement.

To meet this shortfall,gas import projects both liquified and piped are planned and in various stages of development,he added.HE said that Pakistan has developed a vast gas transmission network of nearly 10,000 km which is ideally suited to economically transport large volumes of local and imported natural gas to load centers.

He said that Pakistan’s natural gas demand is rising rapidly and it is expected that it will increase to around 129 BCM per year by 2025,thus offering a huge market to potential gas suppliers including LNG.

Dr Asim said that Pakistan was strategically located south east of Turkmenistan,providing the shortest possible route to the high consumption energy markets in Pakistan and India.

He said that Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI),Gas pipeline project provides an excellent commercial link on top of the historical links that already exist among the regional states.The project envisages the construction of a 33 BCM per year pipeline,traversing through Afghanistan to reach Pakistan and onwards to India.The ADB has conducted a feasibility study,and found the project to be commercially and economically viable.

He said that recently there have been some useful discussions on commercial terms,paying the way for conclusion of agreements.With he recent discovery of huge gas reserves in Turkmenistan,it is expected that the issue of availability and dedication of exploitable gas reserves for the project would also be sorted out,and the project will become a reality in the foreseeable future.

He further said that Pakistan has recently issued its petroleum Exploration and Production Policy which is investor-centric and offers opportunities to investors in exploration and production sector.

app.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-port-can-open-immense-opportunities-for-import-export/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/development-of-gwadar-port-road-linkages-top-priority/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/development-of-gwadar-port-road-linkages-top-priority/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:25:41 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=68 ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) was attaching top priority to development of road linkages to the Gwadar Port which can prove backbone of the country’s economy in the near future.

A source in the NHA told APP on Monday that road connectivity with the Gwadar port was crucial for making it hub of transit trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics and China.

He named the three road linkages being built for Gwadar port. These included Gawadar-Turbat-Hoshab-Panjgur-Nag-Basima-Surab (N-85) which links Gwadar to N-25 RCD Highway at Surab. The NHA has awarded contract for upgradation of this federalised road to Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

Basima-Khuzdar-Ratodero will be another road to connect Gwadar to N-85 & N-25- RCD Highway at Khuzdar and N-55 Indus Highway at Ratodero. Third link road for the Gwadar port is Basima-Surab-Kalat- Mastung-Quetta-Chaman which linked Gwadar to Quetta and Chaman through N-25 RCD Highway.

The source said construction work would be started on Kallat-Quetta-Chaman road in few days while the roads from Khanozai to Qilla Saifullah and Gwadar to Jewani have been completed. He also said work on Gwadar-Gabd and Qilla Saifulah-Zhob is near completion, as the Federal Government has released funds. The road from Ratodero to Shahdadkot is also nearing completion and would be opened within one month.

Efficient road network of a country always play an important role in its development and the government is focusing to improve this network up to international standards. The source said the democratic government wanted to bring real development in Balochistan and make the Gwadar Port second largest port of the country which could play central role in the country’s economy. He said in the present fiscal year, a huge amount has been allocated for the national highways programme with main thrust on the remaining work on Makran Coastal Road, Nutal-Sibi-Dhadar Section (N-65), Ratodero-Shahdadkot-Khuzdar Road, Qilla Saifullah- Loralai-Bewata Section of (N-70), Gwadar Ratodero Road (Khuzdar- Khori, Ratodero-Quba Saeed Khan & Gwadar- Turbat) and Hoshab- Panjgur-Nag-Baseema-Surab (450 km long section).

He said that under Phase-II, a new motorway corridor on the west of the Indus touching Balochistan would be developed as a long-term measure. It is envisaged to develop industrial clusters, oil storage facilities and oil and gas pipelines along the proposed motorway and expressway corridors.

thenews.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/development-of-gwadar-port-road-linkages-top-priority/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-port-is-backbone-of-economy/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-port-is-backbone-of-economy/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 02:24:01 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=66 SHR Jahfer

Islamabad—The federal minister for communication Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan has said that Gawadar Port is the backbone of the country’s economy and its completion was a milestone in the development of the country, therefore special attention is being paid to the highways linking this strategic port. He also clarified that over-loading in containers operating along the Makran Coastal highway will not be allowed.

He expressed these views while giving instructions to high officials posted at Makran Coastal Highway near Pak-Iran Border. The federal secretary communication Sharif Ahmad Khan, Chairman National Highway Authority Chaudhry Altaf Ahmed, Chairman Gawadar port Authority Rear Admiral Saeed, GM Colonal (r) Javed Akhtar, DCO Gawadar Noorul Amin Mengal and other high officials also accompanied him. It may be noted that by Gawadar Port through Makran Coastal Highway, sometimes ago fertilizer and now a days Wheat is being imported.

The federal minister for Communications has been receiving complaints that on vehicles plying on this road, goods were being loaded above the approved quantity. The federal minister instructed the concerned officials to ensure loading of trucks and containers as per the approved quantity, otherwise strict action will be taken against those responsible for it and they will be dealt with according to the law. The federal minister also ordered that in case of any casualties to passengers traveling on these roads, trauma centre should be set up and ambulance and other facilities be provided at Puzzi Pass and Pasni. Earlier, the federal minister traveled from Jeewani to Gabad Highway and inspected it in details.

The federal minister said that Gawadar Port is of key importance to the country because it can help established trade relations with other countries of the world, and expressed his conviction that in future Pakistan will become an economic tiger of the Sub-continent and Asia.

pakobserver.net ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-port-is-backbone-of-economy/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/consortium-for-gwadar-rail-link-proposed/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/consortium-for-gwadar-rail-link-proposed/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:23:00 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=64 QUETTA, Feb 13: The Balochistan government has proposed the setting up of a consortium of friendly countries for a rail project to link the port of Gwadar with countries of the region.

The proposal was made by Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani who said the consortium should consist of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Afghanistan, China and Iran.

“We are ready to host a conference on ‘Gwadar railway and logistic consortium’ in April this year, either in Islamabad or Gwadar,” Nawab Raisani said.

He said the objective of the conference would be to work out principles, modalities, cost and timeframe of the project.

He expressed the hope that the federal government would help in setting up the consortium.

He said he had written a letter to President Asif Zardari praising the federal government for making the Gwadar port functional.

dawn.com

While replying to a question by Marvi Memon,MNA on behalf of Minister for Ports and Shipping during Question Hour, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman said that Frontier Works Organization started construction work of rail link with Gwadar port in November last year.She said that feasibility study was also being conducted for construction of 110‑km additional rail track linking Gwadar with rest of the country.

She further said that National Highway Authority (NHA) has already provided road connectivity to Gwadar port and was building more roads to provide connectivity to this port not only with other parts of the country but also Afghanistan,Central Asia and China.
To a supplementary question,she said that a plant for desalination of sea water has been set up to provide clean drinking water to the residents of Gwadar.

In the written reply Minister for Ports and Shipping said that efforts are underway for export of cement to Middle East and Persian gulf through Gwadar port.He said that a free zone will be set up at Gwadar for port related industries and businesses to supplement the port activities.

He said that import of wheat,fertilizer and coal had already started following the approval of Cabinet Coordination Committee of the Cabinet on December 8,2008.

app.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/work-on-provision-of-rail-link-to-gwadar-port-started/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-an-ideal-destination-for-local-foreign-investors/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-an-ideal-destination-for-local-foreign-investors/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:19:30 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=60 ISLAMABAD: With strategic and economic significance, Gwadar is well poised to unleash constructive opportunities for local as well as foreign investment in diverse fields.

Development work and business activities are gaining impetus at a fast pace with the Gwadar site getting transformed into an ideal destination for potential investors.

Gwadar has better potential and investment opportunities. The port has been constructed and recently one ship carrying 60,000 tonnes of wheat has docked. Once this port becomes fully operational, it will have more advantages. Pakistani entrepreneurs along with foreign investors can make joint ventures at Gwadar, which is not only flanked by planned location but is also a vital corridor to rich oil and mineral resources with close immediacy to Central Asian States, observed Chief Executive of Gwadar Business Associates, Col (R) Fazal-e-Maqbool Afridi.

As far as its geographical location is concerned in comparison to the Gulf ports, especially Dubai, it gives more facilities and will handle more cargo and trade because Gwadar is a deep-sea port and is located on a main shipping route. For Dubai, ships have to wait for days for route clearance due to Strait of Hormuz. The landlocked Central Asian States are also dependent on Gwadar, expressed Col Afridi.

China and other countries shall have short route to the world market maintained through Gwadar. The location of Gwadar Deep Sea Port is such that the whole world businesses converge and diverges at this place.

The whole region can also avail trans-shipment facility as the transit cargo (liquid and dry both) can easily be undertaken from Gwadar and transported to any part of the world in short span of time in comparison to other ports, he viewed. Due to trans-shipment there will be lots of requirements of warehousing and container yards, he stated adding, being a deep sea port on a main shipping route it will facilitate the movement of cargo.

The trade and business activities of all kinds and quantity, from needle to ship, will also flourish at Gwadar irrespective of the cost. Import and export of all items and magnitude is possible, because the means of transportation like sea, road, railway line (in near future) are available and linked with all important countries, he maintained.

Being a deep sea port and facilities for transportation available, industry of any kind is feasible, both of raw materials and finished products, the chief executive said continuing, the mineral deposits of Central Asia have no shorter route to transport them to the world markets, than Gwadar.

Similarly, the developed world can also reap these benefits only from Gwadar.

The transport industry will have to import all kinds of vehicles, especially heavy ones for fast delivering of goods at remote destinations as well as in the city limits. Gwadar Port will also be termed as an energy port. The gas and oil deposit of CIS will find their new storage destination in Gwadar because of its natural flow direction. Even Iran can benefit from Gwadar by having opening to the world market for its gas and oil.

The Pacific states and all those countries which are short of energy can easily be supplied Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from Gwadar. Fishery is one of the most important economic activities in the Gwadar district, in which a vast majority of population is engaged. The district has a 600 kilometres long coast line which provides residents not only the means of income but also the food to subsist.

About one fourth of the total catch of different varieties in Pakistan is found in district Gwadar. On an annual basis there is potential for an additional catch of at least thousands of tonnes. Real-estate is a vibrant industry, he observed adding, there are plenty of chances available starting from construction as every thing new has to be developed and built. It has lot of potential for prices to rise and any investment made will fetch a handsome amount for investors.

The construction industry will also have a boom at Gwadar as there is a dearth of place to live or open an office. Every thing new has to be constructed.

Manufacturing industries will develop, especially automobile, steel re-rolling mills, ship building, refineries, fertiliser and electronic industry, he added.

thenews.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-an-ideal-destination-for-local-foreign-investors/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/bookkeeping-workshop-held-in-gwadar/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/bookkeeping-workshop-held-in-gwadar/#comments Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:18:11 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=58 KARACHI: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and SMEDA jointly organised a workshop on bookkeeping in Gwadar the other day.

The workshop was aimed at enabling small entrepreneurs to understand the fundamentals of accounting and bookkeeping, thus facilitating small business owners to maintain relevant and reliable records that would help in internal and external decision-making as well as improved access to finance.

The workshop was conducted by ACCA member, Amin Ali. The workshop leader provided practical guidance to small business managers for maintaining cash books, records of inventory, debtors and creditors, maintaining productive working relationships with banks, preparing records of financial positions and performance of business.

The participants appreciated ACCA’s efforts in arranging a workshop that would assist in development of effective accounting records. Arif Masud Mirza, Head of ACCA Pakistan stated that, “the key to survival of small businesses is maintaining liquidity, thus ensuring that cash is being managed effectively and efficiently.” It is, hence, imperative that small businesses maintain dependable accounting records, he said.

thenews.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/bookkeeping-workshop-held-in-gwadar/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/oman-helps-establishing-of-museum-at-gwadar/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/oman-helps-establishing-of-museum-at-gwadar/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:15:26 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=56 ISLAMABAD, Jan 1 (APP): The Ambassador of Oman Mr. Mohmed Al‑Lawati, who called on Secretary Culture here today, handed over artifacts which include gun, sword shield, dagger, necklace, anklets & bracelet to the Department of Archaeology, government of Pakistan for their display in the Gwadar Fort Museum.

The Ambassador also handed over a cheque of US$ 20,000/‑ for revamping the Museum at Gwadar Fort.

It may be mentioned that the Government of Pakistan has also planned to display the material of archaeological significance of Shahi Tump, Miri Qalat and other sites of the area presently lying in the Department of Archaeology’s Exploration branch, Karachi together with ethnological material of Makran in the Museum at Gwadar Fort.
The Museum will get added significance in view of the Gwadar city developing as a hub of commercial activities in the future when the port will become fully operational.
The Museum is expected to be inaugurated in three months time which will provide an opportunity to the people to know heritage of the region source of inspiration and education to the general public, including students and visitors from all walks of life.

app.com.pk

The Prime Minister said that the setting up of duty free area at Gwadar would further enhance large scale business activity and would also attract foreign direct investment.

He said the federal government would allocate funds required for the infrastructure projects in Balochistan.

The Chief Minister said that efforts would be made to explore the untapped hydrocarbon and mineral deposits in the province at a fast pace to meet the growing energy needs of the country.

He also informed the Prime Minister about the on‑going socio‑economic development activities being undertaken by the government in Balochistan.

app.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/gwadar-seaport-to-enhance-trade-ties-with-regional-countries/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2009/iran-to-give-55m-for-construction-of-transmission-line-at-gwadar/ http://gwadarcity.info/2009/iran-to-give-55m-for-construction-of-transmission-line-at-gwadar/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:12:01 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=52 ISLAMABAD: A high level delegation of Iran headed by Iranian Minister for Energy Parvaiz Fattah on Monday informed that Iran would provide $55 million for construction of transmission line of 70 kilometres in Pakistan.

The Iranian delegation held a meeting in the Ministry of Water and Power and discussed bilateral co-operation on existing power sector projects related to import of electricity from Iran and future investment prospects in the power sector of Pakistan.

Pakistan was currently importing 40 MW from Iran for coastal areas of Balochisan. The import of power was being enhanced by additional 100 MW for Gwadar port for which an agreement had already been signed. It was informed that M/s SUNIR of Iran would construct the transmission line on both sides of the border for which negotiations on award of contract were in progress. Export Development Bank of Iran would be extending credit of $55 million to NTDC/PEPCO for construction of transmission line.

The balance 50 km on the Iranian side would be constructed by Iran. In addition to the above, consultants have been engaged to carry out the feasibility study for import of additional 1,000 MW from Iran for which an MoU had already been signed. Both sides expressed keen interest to accelerate progress on these projects.

The Iranian delegation was briefed by the Ministry of Water and Power authorities on the current power situation, short, medium and long-term measures being taken by the Pakistan to bridge the gap between demand and supply, future plans to inject more electricity in the national grid to end the energy crisis and the potential projects being offered to the investors in the coal, hydro and renewable energy sectors. The salient features of the power policy and liberal incentives for private investors were also highlighted in the briefing.

The Iranian minister while stressing the need for enhancing bilateral co-operation, offered supply of more power from Iran. He offered to export electricity from its port at Chabahar, which was nearest to Gwadar port where a power plant of 500 MW was being constructed by Iran and would be ready within the next six months.

He said that Iran was already supplying power to Syria, Tajikistan, Iraq etc and was also keen to export the required electricity to Pakistan. Iran had also expressed its interest to build a dedicated 1,000 MW Gas Power Plant at Zahidan near Pakistan border for export of power to Pakistan.

The Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Pakistan would welcome such an initiative and should extend full co-operation and workout the modalities. The minister also stated that Pakistan was interested to purchase more power transformers of various capacities from Iran with speedy delivery.

dailytimes.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2009/iran-to-give-55m-for-construction-of-transmission-line-at-gwadar/feed/ 0 http://gwadarcity.info/2008/road-network-connecting-gwadar-with-neighbours-scheduled-to-be-completed/ http://gwadarcity.info/2008/road-network-connecting-gwadar-with-neighbours-scheduled-to-be-completed/#comments Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:09:23 +0000 admin http://gwadarcity.info/?p=50 ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP): Trade activities are likely to gear up in Gwadar from mid next year as most of the road network projects, conceived to provide economical connectivity to China, Afghanistan, Central Asian States and Iran would start functioning within a period of next 6 to 12 months.

General Manager (Construction) National Highway Authority (NHA) Pervaiz Ahmed Sulehri told CNBC, channel that coastal highway, connecting Gwadar with Karachi, would be extended and linked with N-55 – thus ensuring easy inter linking of Karachi-Gwadar-Khuzdar-Quetta-Shahdadkot-Lodhran and Faisalabad as Lodhran would be linked with M-4.

And, he continued, M-4 would be linked from Faisalabad to Khanewal and Multan.Later on it will connect Khanewal with Lodhran. From Lodhran it would become part of National trade corridor – linking with N-55.

Yet another important network, M-8 being built from Gwadar to Shahdadkot would be connected with N-55 from Khuzdar to Shahdadkot,he said.

Work is continuing on M-8 being built to connect Gwadar with rest of the country.There are two sections of M-8 – 250 km long first section starts from Gwadar and culminate at Hoshab while touching Turbat – this section is scheduled to be completed by mid 2009.

Second portion of M-8 consists of Hoshab-Khuzdar-Shahdadkot.

It would be completed by 2009 end.

Also – 410 km N-85 will connect Taftan through Hoshab, Punjgoor, Bisma and Quetta. It is set to be completed by end 2010.

A three years expansion project of Karakoram Highway continues with renowned vigour. A 335 km long stretch is being expanded from Raikot to Khunjrab. The project is being implemented in collaboration with China, he said.

The share of NHA is 12,000 km long highways and motorways – out of a total of 250,000 km long roads stretched across the country, he added.

app.com.pk ]]> http://gwadarcity.info/2008/road-network-connecting-gwadar-with-neighbours-scheduled-to-be-completed/feed/ 0