Importers bear losses due to goods transporters strike

KARACHI: MQM Pakistan’s MPA Muhammad Asif Moosa has submitted resolution in Sindh Assembly demanding to address issues being faced by importers at Karachi ports due to strike of goods transport.

In his resolution he opined that in recent days, owing to a transport strike, Karachi Port and Port Qasim, and consequently not only the Province of Sindh but the entire country, have been severely affected, resulting in a large number of imported containers remaining stranded at the ports.
Importers had duly filed their Customs Goods Declarations (GDs). However, due to the strike, the clearance and transportation of containers could not be carried out within the prescribed time despite the filing of GDs. As a consequence of this extraordinary situation, which was entirely beyond the control of the importers, they are now being subjected to detention charges by shipping companies, demurrage by port authorities, and penalties by customs authorities.
This financial burden will ultimately be transferred to the general public in the form of increased prices of essential commodities and other imported goods, despite the fact that the common consumer had no role whatsoever in this situation. This House further emphasizes that, in the prevailing environment of high inflation, the imposition of such additional costs will further erode the purchasing power of the common man, which is against the principles of social and economic justice.
Therefore, Federal Government should immediately take all relevant stakeholders into confidence and to formulate and implement a comprehensive, effective, and urgent policy framework to address this issue and to provide relief to the affected importers and, ultimately, to the public at large.