Bhutan is preparing to operationalise its largest dry port, a Nu 1.2 billion facility in Pasakha designed to consolidate cargo clearance and reduce the burden on Phuentshogling, the country’s principal land gateway for trade.
Built across more than 15 acres, the Mega Dry Port will bring customs, regulatory authorities, police and clearing agents together at a single location. The arrangement is expected to simplify the movement and clearance of goods entering the country and limit the number of heavy vehicles that currently need to pass through Phuentshogling.
The facility includes offices for the Department of Revenue and Customs, the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority, police and clearing agents, allowing several stages of cargo processing to be carried out within the port complex.
A major component of the project is its warehousing capacity. Three container freight stations have been constructed, each covering more than 4,800 square metres. According to the developer, the infrastructure will enable the port to handle as many as 100 truckloads of cargo a day.
The complex also includes a large container yard and a dedicated cold storage facility, providing infrastructure for goods requiring different forms of storage and handling. Dormitory accommodation for drivers and a canteen have also been incorporated into the facility.
Construction of the dry port began in October 2019 and was subsequently divided into six major packages.
Tshering Dorji, Executive Director of Hi-Tech Company Private Limited, which developed the project, said all six packages had been completed despite disruptions during the construction period.
“We began construction in October 2019. Over time, the project was carried out in six major packages, all of which were successfully completed despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and the recent global market disruptions caused by the ongoing wars in the West,” Dorji said.
The project is expected to play an important role in reorganising cargo movement along Bhutan’s busiest trade corridor. By shifting a substantial part of cargo handling and clearance to Pasakha, authorities expect the dry port to ease congestion in Phuentshogling while creating a more coordinated system for cross-border freight.
The infrastructure is ready, but commercial operations have yet to begin. Stakeholder consultations are currently underway to determine the management arrangements for the facility, according to sources. Operations are expected to commence once those arrangements are finalised.
For businesses and transport operators dependent on cross-border trade, attention is now turning to the opening date and the extent to which the new facility can shorten clearance processes and reduce congestion around Phuentshogling.
Once operational, the Pasakha Mega Dry Port will become a new focal point in Bhutan’s trade infrastructure, with much of its impact likely to depend on how efficiently cargo traffic and clearance procedures are transferred to the new facility.
