HONG Kong's Hutchison Ports managing director Eric Ip has told Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting at Prime Minister House that the company is commencing construction of the second phase of the Pakistan Deep Water Container Port (PDWCP) in Karachi with an investment of US$240 million to raise the gateway's annual container handling capacity to 3.2 million TEU.
Mr Ip also revealed that Hutchison Ports' total investment in Pakistan, including the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), will reach PKR150 billion (US$1 billion) and provide direct employment to 3,000 staff and support thousands working in the ports and shipping sector. The terminals contribute PKR15 billion annually to the government in the form of taxes and concession fees.
Mr Ip also highlighted the technologies and industrial best practices that Hutchison Ports has introduced to the country, such as being the first to introduce remote-controlled ship-to-shore cranes and semi-automated yard cranes to the country's port industry, a statement from the group said.
The group also created a regional operations centre to provide ship planning functions for Hutchison Ports' operations in the Far East, offering local staff the opportunity to engage in high-level international training and gain overseas experience.
The meeting was attended by Hutchison Ports' senior executives and Pakistan's Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Minister for Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Board of Investment (BOI) chairman Zubair Gilani, and Ambassador at Large for Foreign Investment Ali Jehangir Siddiqui.
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