ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the government is taking steps to facilitate the goods supply sector for its modernisation, adding timely digitisation and identifying opportunities can catapult Pakistan to progress.
Addressing the 1st Multimodal Logistics Conference on Thursday, the president said that development in the IT sector will bring an exponential revolution in the overall economy of the country. He said Pakistan can provide a gateway to Central Asian States to its ports.
He said the Islamabad, Tehran and Istanbul freight train has resumed its service. Dr Alvi said leaders of the Central Asian States are eager to join the Belt and Road Initiative and to take benefit from Pakistan’s ports.
President Alvi mentioned that Uzbekistan has shown keen interest in transporting its commodities through Pakistan, while Turkmenistan and Iran were interested in the supply of natural gas. In this regard, he said an efficient cargo system in Pakistan is vital to substantially improve the supply-chain system, thus benefiting both the producer and consumer countries.
“Pakistan has immense opportunities knocking at its doorstep and we need to take advantage with the implementation of a multimodal logistic strategy,” he said. He mentioned that the government had done a splendid job in improving the farming, industry, and textile sectors during the pandemic; however, he mentioned the need for a smooth supply chain system.
To bridge gaps between the manufacturer and consumer, he said, the policies needed to be formulated in consultation with government functionaries and the private sector. He said getting adjusted to changing trends, overcoming supply chain disruptions, and relying on two or more modes of transportation can substantially improve the logistics system.
He said multi-model transportation requires more communication and collaboration and emphasised on training the country’s huge youth bulge into a productive human resource to achieve the goals.
Dr Ishrat Hussain, former adviser to the prime minister on institutional reforms and austerity, said that inefficiency of the supply chain could be overcome through the implementation of reforms in institutions. He mentioned that the reforms carried out in Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Railways, and National Highway Authority are aimed at the improvement of consumer services.
To improve the efficiency of public organizations, he said it is important for the ministries to work on policies only, while the regulatory bodies could function autonomously. He stressed a level-playing field for all stakeholders including the private sector relating to the supply chain to benefit the consumer.
