High freight charges major hindrance in mango exports

[Abbas Ali]

By Adeel Pathan

HYDERABAD: High freight charges and space shortage are major constraints in mango exports across the country, which is causing huge financial losses to the exporters. Exporters of other fresh items are also confronted with the same problems in their business.

Mohammed Akram Ansari, associated with the import and export business and a member of import and export sub-committee of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), stated this in an interview with The News.

He said that Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is working actively for the promotion of exports by organising trade fairs and exhibitions all over the year.

He said that the bureau also injects money for exporters training and explores new markets but when at the time of export airlines don’t extend any cooperation to them.

Giving an example, he said that Pakistan International Airline (PIA) is charging Rs10 as fuel charges as Rs3 for miscellaneous charges that are in addition to Rs72 freight charges according to international airline rules and regulations.

As a result, exporters are paying Rs85 on one kilogram of mango exports to European countries, Akram Ansari said and added that space on the flights is another problem, the exporters face.

He said that the exporters books their space three to four days before the schedule flights but the airline offloads the mango boxes on the ground of “space shortage in the plane”.

He said that this attitude of airline is affecting the mango exports and also causing losses to the exporters.

He said that forwarding agents usually book the space for exporters but PIA creates another problem by asking them for security deposit of Rs1.2 million for export season from 1st June to 15th September which is again a financial loss to forwarding agents as wells as to the exporters.

Ansari said that the neighboring India uses special chartered planes for mango exports to boost the business and also provides subsidy of 50 per cent.

He said that Pakistan should also start special chartered planes for mango exports and allow subsidy on freight and revive its old process of 25 per cent refund to the exporters.

He complained that rates of airlines are also different as some international airlines are charging more than what PIA is charging and called for a uniform policy on rate while miscellaneous charges should be slashed to boost the mango exports.

Source: The News