The Ukraine-Russia war has greatly affected international freight traffic. It is common for cargo ships to anchor at various ports and passenger ships to be delayed. As a result, global food shortages and severe price hikes have occurred.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference in Uzbekistan’s capital Samarkand last week, raised the issue. He emphasized that all steps should be taken to ensure smooth transportation of goods at the international level. Delivery only when goods are transported from one country to other countries without hindrance
He also did not fail to point out that the chain would continue unscathed. He also mentioned that there is no international trade or economic development without export-import.
Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping included
When Prime Minister Modi directly accused Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit, he was unable to respond. Prime Minister Modi raised the issue of cargo transportation.
India has decided to donate half a lakh tonnes of wheat and medicines to help the people of Afghanistan who are facing severe food shortage. India wrote a letter on October 7, 2021 seeking permission to transit them through Pakistan.
On November 24, Pakistan agreed to allow trucks from Afghanistan to reach the Waha border to carry wheat, saying that Indian vehicles could not be allowed.
Prime Minister Modi indicated the severity of the problem by pointing out the impact and delay in bringing essential items to specific places. Many small countries in Africa and the Pacific Ocean are in the same situation as Afghanistan.
Food shortages have occurred in developing countries due to disruptions in international freight transport. Widely, internationally priced
Kamal has risen. The issue raised by Prime Minister Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference is now being discussed internationally.
A day after the Shanghai talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the National Logistics Policy with his hand back to India. The announcement shows that the Modi government has realized that the same problem is being seen in India as well, rather than just preaching to the world.
People’s daily lives depend on cargo transportation of essential commodities. Currently, freight costs account for 14% to 15% of GDP. The goal of the National Freight Handling Policy is to bring it down to single digits.
Transport costs can be significantly reduced if road freight transport can be reduced and transported by rail and waterways. Japan and Germany have implemented it. The cost of freight transport in those countries is only 8% of GDP. The objective of the freight handling policy is to take India to that level in five years.
Apart from addressing the challenges faced by the transport sector, the policy will also promote the ‘PM Faster Shakti’ scheme. It is the government’s plan to reduce the cost of transport and warehousing, and speed up the movement of goods without bribery or wastage of time through eight-pronged measures.
Indian goods can reach international markets only with modern transport facilities. As the Modi government plans to make India an export-led economy, seamless freight transport becomes essential.
He has now released his government’s National Freight Handling Policy, following the ‘PM Chatara Shakti’ scheme, the ‘Sagar Mala’ scheme to consolidate ports and improve infrastructure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government must realize that rising energy costs and tariff are obstacles to its target.