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The minister for maritime affairs in Pakistan has proposed setting up a one-stop business facilitation center to bring port-related services for exporters and importers under one roof.<\/strong><\/p>\n The federal minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry proposed while chairing a meeting to review progress on port-related projects.<\/p>\n The federal minister said the proposed Maritime Business Facilitation Centre would help reduce delays and simplify procedures for businesses involved in international trade.<\/p>\n The center would bring officials from relevant government departments and maritime organizations together at a single location. Businesses would be able to submit applications and access several port-related services without having to visit different offices.<\/p>\n Each participating organization would appoint a focal person to assist businesses, while an integrated system linked to their main offices would allow applications and cases to be processed and tracked, the minister said.<\/p>\n Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the initiative could reduce costs related to trucking, containers, storage, demurrage, vessel delays and administrative procedures, benefiting all enterprises, exporters, importers and particularly first-time users of port services, according to the minister.<\/p>\n The minister also said standardizing procedures could improve fee collection and reduce leakages, while higher trade volumes could generate additional revenue from port services, cargo handling, customs-related activity and associated logistics.<\/p>\n The proposed center is intended to improve coordination among maritime-sector organizations, reduce procedural bottlenecks and make port services more accessible to businesses engaged in international trade.<\/p>\n Junaid Chaudhry has called a meeting of government departments and maritime-sector stakeholders to seek their input on the center\u2019s structure and operations.<\/p>\n The minister directed officials to consult all relevant stakeholders and incorporate their recommendations into the proposal to ensure the facility addresses the operational needs of exporters and importers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n