KPT to privatise key activities

Karachi: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) is planning to privatise its pilotage and tugging operations in line with the landlord port policy and future mega projects. According to sources, the KPT has drawn up plans keeping in view the construction of Pakistan's deep-water container port (PDCP), cargo village and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.

These facilities would be required for handling the outer anchorage and harbour needs, which are to be upgraded and modernised according to international standards. The requirement of pilotage and tugging operations would be prompt and efficient and, as per the KPT's management decision, these would be outsourced.

In this connection, some international firms, having experience of handling in open sea based port operations have already expressed interest in the operation of pilotage and tugging.

The pilotage and tugging (P&T) services require pilot service like providing pilots for sailing, arrivals and shifting within the Karachi Harbour to the vessels on 24 hours, 7 days a week and 365 days a year basis.

The P&T operations also provide tugs for assisting berthing and unberthing of vessels. This requires four tugs with 45 to 65 tons of Bollard pull. The operator has also to provide pilot boats (two pilot boats) for embarkation and disembarkation of pilots.

Another factor is 'Mooring Gangs' that are required for mooring of ships on all piers, including oil piers, and fix moorings in the streams, and water and road transport for transporting mooring gangs to all wharves.

The operator has to establish and employ human resource for communication on VHF marine bands with ships, pilots, tugs and other concerns departments. The port parameters would be provided to the operator, depending upon the depth on the various berths, except where the vessels are constrained due to their draughts. Shipping is to be carried out round-the-clock, including berthing of tankers, car carriers.

The average ships arriving at the port is about 1830. The average pilotage acts are around 4000 per year, including shifting in the harbour channel. Currently, the KPT employs around 300 employees and officers, including 12 pilots, engaged in pilotage operation.

All the licensed pilots will be available for hiring by the contractor in the first phase, and later on the company can hire their own pilots, train, and get them examined and certified from the federal government for operating in Karachi harbour. The Karachi port has registered an overall growth of 13 percent cargo during 2005-06, which is a sign of economic activities in the country.

For the first time in the history of KPT, containerised cargo crossed the mark of 1.144 million in Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) resulting in a growth of more than 25 percent. The port's overall cargo handling crossed the record 32.2 million tons, and it managed 1995 vessels, against 1768 ships of last year.

The cargo handling at the port remained on the rise, registering a massive growth of 32.35 percent in dry cargo, as during the year 21.60 million tons was handled against 16.32 million tons of last year.

This was mainly due to the growing demand of fertiliser, coal, cement and sugar. Handling of liquid cargo remained low this year at 10.66 million tons as compared to 12.29 million of last year.

Due to an increase in the demand of imported vehicles, the port handled a phenomenal number of 57,352 vehicles during the year compared to 18,699 of last year. Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) cargoes also registered an increase of 64.48 percent during the year, touching 301,000 tons handled by the port.