The Effectiveness of Public Administration in Maritime Management – The Case Study of Pakistan

Abstract

Modern practices of public administration provide a broad understanding of governing actors, mechanisms, and tools. The domain of maritime activities has many levels: international, regional, and national levels. The institutions of any states and non-governmental entities (both commercial and non-commercial) act together at these levels. All of these entities have a specific impact on maritime activities. This paper will discuss the situated importance of public administration (PA) in being the manager of the Pakistan maritime sector which is strategically critical to the nation, as marine trade is its primary method of importation and exportation. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology based on review of policy documents, scholarly literature, and institutional reports to analyze the role of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) and other agencies in the construct of the maritime governance. Particular focus is paid to Karachi Port, Port Qasim and Gwadar Port. The paper also finds its way into the most notable issues brought about by poor governance including over bureaucratic obstructions, institutional coordination, poor infrastructure, security threats and workforce shortages and whether the National Shipping Policy has been achieved. The review shows a weak or no inter-agency cooperation and judicious application of policy which affects competency and performance of the port. The analysis suggests greater institutional integration, investment in modern infrastructure, training of the workforce and good partnership with the hybrid public and private partnership (PPP) like CPEC. Pakistan is in a position to pursue the international practice of using these reforms to develop its maritime environment and can enhance its global trade capability by embracing the economically supportive services present in international maritime environments.