Pakistan to Cut Port Container Dwell Time by 70% with New Government Plan
The Government of Pakistan is taking major steps to speed up cargo movement at its ports. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, has announced a new high-level committee. This group will work on reducing container dwell time — the time a container stays at the port — by up to 70%.
The announcement was made during a meeting at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) headquarters. The meeting was led by Minister Chaudhry and attended by FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, as well as senior officials from Customs, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Karachi Port Trust (KPT), and other key departments.
The committee will be headed by Umer Zafar Sheikh, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. It will include members from KPT, Pakistan Customs, FBR, terminal operators, and other relevant bodies.
Minister Chaudhry said the goal is to cut dwell time from around 7 days to just 2 days. This is in line with instructions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The committee will look into the current problems and suggest solutions within the next 10 days.
To support this plan, a new monitoring room will be set up at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. The government also plans to use drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to watch vessel arrivals and container movements in real time.
The minister explained that faster container clearance will improve port performance, lower transport costs, and help Pakistan compete better in regional trade. Right now, delays in container release are making imports and exports more expensive, hurting business and slowing down trade.
This new effort will help reduce port congestion and make it easier for goods to move quickly and efficiently—giving a much-needed boost to Pakistan’s economy.
