Nine ships carrying 450,000 metric tonnes of imported wheat are expected to dock at Gwadar Port in the first week of March, sparking a significant economic boom there. According to Secretary of National Food Security Zafar Hassan, operational preparations for the import of wheat in such a big amount at Gwadar Port are nearly complete. He was presiding over a coordination meeting with Gwadar Port Operators and Gwadar International Terminal Limited to examine the specific operational management of wheat import at the Gwadar Port.

Chairman of Gwadar International Terminal Limited informed the meeting that urea supply and import conducted at Gwadar Port last month went without a hitch. He said that anchorage was provided for arriving ships and that 200 vehicles could operate two vessels concurrently for wheat operations every day.

According to the secretary of National Food Security, Gwadar Port has a variety of amenities. Trading Corporation of Pakistan and Gwadar International Terminal Limited inked a formal importing agreement last year. He said this arrangement is a significant step towards maximising Gwadar Port's inherent potential as a logistics centre in the area, which would ultimately generate $10 billion in GDP for Pakistan's economy.

The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet had accepted the lowest offer from a Russian business to import 450,000 metric tonnes of wheat through Gwadar Port, he said. The introduction of wheat import through Gwadar will usher in a new age of commerce, trade, and commercial activity at the port, he added.

The preparation of wheat import utilising Gwadar port has been declared as a new milestone by the Gwadar Port Authority. He said that the import of wheat will increase economic activity in Gwadar. There will be a high demand for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled labour when such activities take off, and it would also increase the possibility of employment, he added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk