Govt trying to market Gwadar Port as world’s focus: Gilani

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Govt trying to market Gwadar Port as world’s focus: Gilani

GWADAR, Dec 29 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said Tuesday that the government was trying to market Gwadar Port as focus of the world and a strategically located harbour.He was speaking at the distribution of regularisation letters among 87 contract employees of Gwadar Port. Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri, State Minister for Ports and Shipping Nabeel Gabol were also present on the occasion.

“The purpose of the government is to make this port a focus of the world which can benefit so many countries due to its strategic location,” PM Gilani added. We are also trying to make it operational as it was non- functional soon after the inauguration.

Prime Minister pointed out that the present cabinet has decided to divert some of the urea and wheat import of the government to Gwadar Port so that it can become functional. This decision has generated a lot of activity in Gwadar, he noted.

About 80 ships carrying wheat and urea discharged their cargo at Gwadar and about 80,000 trucks transported this cargo to Karachi.

This also provided lot of jobs to people, boosted business activities and strengthened the economy of the area.

He said though the government paid a cost of Rs 2 billion for this diversion, it helped the port to become operational. This was our obligation. It was also our obligation to regularise contract port employees and we did it,” he added.

He said the government has also reinstated thousands of retrenched employees and more retrenched workers will be restored in future.

Gilani said that NAVTEC will be established in Gwadar to provide training to the locals in various skills so that they can go abroad and earn a better livelihood for themselves as well as remittances for the country.

He advised the Chairman Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) to give preference to the locals in jobs.

Earlier, Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri said that the purpose of PM’s visit to Gwadar was to tell the people how much importance the government gives to this neglected province.

He pointed out that all the regularised employees are locals. GPA Chairman Mohammad Aslam Hayat said that the Port was entering a new phase. He said that the Port handles on an average 5000 metric tons of cargo per day.

APP