PM’s Maritime reforms Task Force delivers major progress

The reform implementation committee, established in December 2024, includes representatives from the Ministry of Defence, maritime and logistics sectors, including the National

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s maritime sector has achieved significant progress under the Prime Minister’s Maritime Reforms Task Force, with the implementation committee completing the vast majority of its reform agenda aimed at modernizing ports, shipping, and marine industries.

The reform implementation committee, established in December 2024, includes representatives from the Ministry of Defence, maritime and logistics sectors, including the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), along with experts from other relevant institutions.

The task force had proposed 99 reform measures covering key areas such as port development, shipping, shipbuilding, ship recycling, and fisheries. According to officials, 85 of the recommended action points have already been completed within a year and a half. Of the remaining 14 measures, 11 are in the final stages of implementation, while work on the remaining three continues under a long-term strategy.

Among the completed reforms are the preparation of national port master plans, the introduction of a uniform port tariff system, and improvements in transit trade procedures. The reforms have also focused on increasing port capacity, deploying advanced monitoring systems for economic zones, and removing illegal encroachments from Karachi Port land.

Additional measures include updated customs regulations to facilitate transshipment and bunkering operations, as well as initiatives to strengthen Pakistan’s domestic shipbuilding and ship repair industry. Authorities have also finalized a five-year provincial fisheries development plan and resumed ship recycling activities after an eight-year gap.

As part of efforts to enhance self-reliance in port dredging operations, the government has also established the National Dredging and Marine Services, marking another milestone in the country’s maritime reform programme.