On 2nd December 2024, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) hosted a high-level workshop in Karachi on the Refurbishment of Shipping Policy – 2024. The event brought together leading stakeholders from across the maritime industry, including representatives from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), and other private-sector participants. The primary objective of the workshop was to consolidate and refine stakeholder recommendations for revising Pakistan’s national shipping policy.
The GCNP–MACN team was formally invited by MoMA to contribute recommendations, reflecting the recognition of the Collective Action Project’s expertise and its extensive engagement with Pakistan’s maritime sector over the past several years. It is not out of place to mention that GCNP-MACN has major contribution in drafting maritime policy at the request of FPCCI and helped their team in formulating a draft policy on behalf of FPCCI. GCNP–MACN provided targeted policy insights to strengthen regulatory frameworks and align incentives with international best practices
In the conference, the Director General of Ports & Shipping, Ms. Alia Shahid, outlined key policy objectives, including deregulation, infrastructure development, and business-friendly reforms, shipbuilding investments, merchant marine growth, vessel registration, tonnage expansion, and ship recycling. The participants emphasized the urgent need for tax exemptions, simplified regulations, and tangible incentives to encourage shipping companies to register under the Pakistani flag.