Karachi: A four -day strike by cargo tankers, which ended early on Saturday, resulted in severe disruption of trade and ports, causing millions of losses due to the delay in shipments and the accumulation of imported containers.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in the Chamber of Commerce in Karachi is estimated at about 120 million rupees in accusations of passing the peripheral at 12,000 stuck containers at various stations during the strike.
Nearly 20,000 to 25,000 export containers were unable to reach the port, with the expected to remove accumulation 20 to 25 days. The head of KCCI dismantled Bilwani, advised business owners only employed commodity transport companies with valid licenses and fitness certificates, adding that the carriers have doubled their prices during the turmoil.
The strike also caused significant losses to the damaged goods. WAHEED Ahmed, the sponsor of all Pakistani fruit and vegetable dealers, the exporters and importers Association, said that about 400 containers carry damageable products, as the losses decreased between 300,000 dollars and 400,000 dollars due to the limited cooling capacity.
In addition, it was 200 to 250 containers, most of which carry potatoes for the Middle East and the Far East, stuck on the boundaries of the Punjab Sinds amid protests against the channel’s projects in parts of the bond, which raised concerns about potential damage.
The rice exporters also faced great losses, as former head of the Rice Exporters Association, Riviki Suleiman, said that the sector lost $ 16 million during the strike. It was estimated that the cumulative loss during the four-day period amounted to 5-6 billion rupees, warning that the delay may lead to cancellation orders.
The strike was canceled in the aftermath of a meeting between the carriers and the Karachi Commissioner Sayed Hassan Naqafi, as the carriers agreed to submit weekly reports of the DIG movement and to ensure that the inappropriate vehicles were not operated. Naqafi also announced that all heavy vehicles will be launched immediately, with the exception of those that are not valid.
Tariq Gogar, head of the Transport Commodities Association, said that the authorities granted the carriers a six -month window to implement safety measures, including a fitness certificate, to reduce accidents. However, he indicated that the campaign, which started on April 12, was premature, as the date of the original implementation was determined on the first of May. Googar added that the strike led to daily losses in millions of rupees for merchants and economics.
Under the new agreement, Transporters will submit monthly progress reports on the implementation of the agreed safety protocols to control accidents.
