TIMES REPORT
ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Task Force on Maritime Reforms has achieved significant progress, completing 85 of the 99 reform measures identified to modernize Pakistan’s maritime sector.
The Reform Implementation Committee, established in December 2024 under the Prime Minister’s Task Force, comprised experts from the Ministry of Defence, maritime and logistics sectors, including the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), along with representatives from other relevant institutions.
According to official details, the Task Force had recommended 99 reforms covering key areas of the maritime sector. Within one and a half years, the committee has successfully implemented 85 action points. Of the remaining reforms, 11 are in the final stages of completion, while work on three long-term initiatives is continuing.
Major reforms completed include the preparation of a national ports master plan, implementation of a uniform port tariff, improvements in transit trade, expansion of port capacity, introduction of a modern monitoring system for economic zones, and removal of encroachments from Karachi Port land.
The reform package also includes the introduction of customs rules for transshipment and bunkering, promotion of local shipbuilding and ship repair infrastructure, and the revival of the ship recycling industry after an eight-year hiatus.
In the fisheries sector, a comprehensive five-year provincial development plan has been finalized to promote sustainable growth and improve productivity.
As part of efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s maritime capabilities and achieve self-reliance in port dredging, the government has also established the National Dredging and Marine Services Company, marking another key milestone under the Prime Minister’s maritime reform agenda.
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