KARACHI: Karachi International Container Terminal Limited (KICT) has reportedly failed to implement effective measures against escalating incidents of theft, pilferage, cargo mishandling and persistent operational delays, which are inflicting severe financial shocks to the trade.
The issues were highlighted by the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA) in a letter sent to the management of KICT, expressing grave concerns over persistent operational delays, recurring incidents of theft, pilferage, and mishandling of cargoes that are causing serious financial losses to the trade.
In its letter, the KCAA highlighted multiple operational challenges that have been severely impacting import clearance processes at the KICT.
The KCAA expressed disenchantment over recurring incidents of theft, pilferage, and mishandling of cargo at the terminal, saying that several incidents of security breach have been reported that compromised cargo safety, resulting in severe financial shocks to the trade.
The KCAA, in its letter, reported that the backlog of containers is increasing daily, despite repeated requests from members for improved operational performance.
The association said that even container numbers communicated by KCAA for prioritized grounding were not being processed promptly.
“Containers are not being arranged for examination at KICT,” the letter said, adding that this has resulted in severe delays in clearance of import consignments and escalating port demurrage and container detention charges for importers.
The KCAA highlighted several operational issues requiring immediate attention, including persistent delays in the closure and relocation of containers from examination areas, with containers not being sealed and transferred promptly following examination, adding that this disruption to the workflow has adversely affected the overall efficiency of the clearance process.
The KCAA also highlighted that the designated space allocated for the examination of A-class cargo was currently inadequate at KICT, which required immediate expansion to accommodate the increasing volume of cargo under inspection.
Additionally, there is an ongoing shortage of essential handling equipment and labor, particularly for cargo operations such as de-stuffing and re-stuffing, the letter said.
The KCAA warned that if the current operational situation remained unchanged, the association would have no option but to reconsider its cooperation and support with the KICT Terminal.
The association urged the KICT to issue immediate instructions to the concerned staff to expedite the grounding process and ensure containers were made available for clearance without further delay.
The KCAA also requested to allow a waiver in the port demurrage charges for the affected period, if the delays were directly attributed to the late grounding by the KICT
