Port service charges up for revision

Cabinet Spokespersons Mahinda Samarasinghe and Keheliya Rambukwella

• Cabinet nod given to revise charges for SLPA and Jaya terminal

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to revise port charges levied to increase competitiveness and profitability, Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe announced yesterday. 

The Cabinet of Ministers under President Maithripala Sirisena and newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, which met for the second time this week, approved charges levied by Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Jaya Container Terminals to increase competitiveness, while also introducing a unified fee levying system among ports, Cabinet Co-spokesperson and State Minister of Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella said speaking at the weekly Cabinet press briefing held at the Department of Information. 

“The fees will be increased without compromising competitiveness of our port,” said Samarasinghe, who is also a Cabinet Co-Spokesperson. 

“We haven’t revised in years unlike other countries, which have revised charges and increased their revenue from ports. We will do the same.”

However the final decision about the port charges will be taken following decisions with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Samarasinghe insisted.