UNISAME URGES FOR EFFICIENT MODERN EXAMINATION SYSTEM AND REPACKING FACILITY AT KARACHI PORT

LACK OF PROPER REPACKING FACILITY AT KARACHI PORT

The SME exporters have complained to the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) about lack of repacking facilities at Karachi port for goods opened for examination by the authorities and urged for speedy efficient system.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the bonafide SME exporters, the commercial exporters and the new entrants are badly affected by the huge expenses and time involved in the reopening of export cargo and despite being costly is poor causing claims from overseas customers. He regretted that the scanners installed are perhaps outdated and below international standard compelling the authorities both the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) and the customs to carry out costly physical examination.
Thaver said they have made categories of exporters and the shipments made by commercial exporters and not regular exporters are subjected to examination of every shipment and manufacturers and regular exporters are also subjected to examination but not often.
The point is that the concept of online facility is defeated and new comers who enter the export business are treated with suspicion and subjected to full examination and also those who are exporters but not big exporters and are exporting not many shipments in other words are small exporters are treated with suspicion. This should not be the case as opening of cargo is a tedious job and again repacking it is another tough job because the factory packing gets spoiled and the port terminal handlers charge a lot of money and do not pack it properly but sometimes just dump it back again in the container without bothering about its neatness and proper specified packing resulting in complaints from buyers. The SME exporters are badly affected and aggrieved of this orthodox and obsolete manner of examination and puts them at the mercy of the appraiser and the ANF who may order examination as per their discretion. The best answer and solution is a modern scanning system whereby the containers can pass through reliable efficient modern scanners.
UNISAME has urged the ministry of ports and shipping to install full proof modern scanners which can avoid the need for physical examination and save the exporters the hardships and improve the examination system and make it efficient in line with international standards.

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