Cargo that arrives with pre-arrival Goods Declarations clears at Karachi Port in about 90 hours, compared with 296 hours for cargo filed without advance documentation, Karachi Port Trust Chairman Rear Admiral (retd) Shahid Ahmed said. He was addressing a meeting at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), where he urged importers, customs agents and clearing brokers to make pre-arrival filing standard practice.
The chairman said faster clearance would ease terminal congestion and cut the cost of doing business at the country’s busiest port.
How advance filing cuts cargo clearance time
The figures put the case plainly. Cargo with Goods Declarations filed before the vessel arrives moves through the port in roughly 90 hours. Cargo without advance filing takes about 296 hours, more than three times as long.
Shahid Ahmed asked the trade to treat pre-arrival filing as the norm rather than the exception. The push fits a wider maritime facilitation drive, including the one-door facilitation initiative at Karachi Port and the restoration of direct Karachi-Europe shipping. He invited KCCI to submit a consolidated list of operational problems along with practical recommendations, and assured the chamber of KPT’s cooperation with Pakistan Customs, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Sindh government and other authorities.
What pre-arrival filing means
A Goods Declaration is the document an importer or clearing agent files with Pakistan Customs declaring the cargo, its value and the duty payable. Filing it before the ship berths lets assessment, examination scheduling and duty processing begin early, so containers start moving almost as soon as they land.
Without advance filing, the paperwork starts only after arrival, and each step, from documentation and assessment to payment and release, queues behind the rest. That is where the extra 200-plus hours go. For Karachi’s importers, every idle day at the terminal means demurrage and storage charges that eventually feed into prices for businesses and consumers. The chairman framed faster clearance as a way to lower the cost of doing business, a theme that runs through the government’s export-led growth plans.
Dredging nearly complete
The chairman also updated the chamber on the long-pending dredging project at the port. About 90 per cent of the work is complete, he said, with the main channel deepened to around 14.5 metres.
The approach channel is expected to reach 16 metres once the remaining work concludes within 30 to 40 days. A deeper channel lets the port handle larger vessels, which matters as shipping lines deploy bigger ships on regional routes.
What KCCI was asked to do
Beyond the filing appeal, the KPT chief asked the chamber to put its complaints in writing, a consolidated list of operational problems with practical recommendations. He promised KPT would work with Customs, the FBR and the Sindh government to resolve them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pre-arrival Goods Declaration?
It is the customs document declaring imported cargo, its value and payable duty, filed with Pakistan Customs before the vessel arrives so assessment and release can begin early.
How much faster is clearance with advance filing?
According to the KPT chairman, cargo with pre-arrival Goods Declarations clears in about 90 hours, against 296 hours without advance filing.
What did the KPT chairman ask importers to do?
He urged importers, customs agents and clearing brokers to make pre-arrival filing standard practice, and asked KCCI to submit a consolidated list of operational problems with practical recommendations.
When will the approach channel reach 16 metres?
The KPT chairman said the remaining dredging work is expected to conclude within 30 to 40 days, taking the approach channel to 16 metres. The main channel has already been deepened to around 14.5 metres.
Source: Tribune report
