Minister opens fully-reconstructed Container Freight Station of SLPA

The fully-reconstructed Container Freight Station - 1 (CFS - 1) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) was opened yesterday by Minister of Ports and Shipping Mahinda Samarasinghe. 

The Container Freight Station – 1 (CFS – 1), which is a major resource of warehousing at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), was completely destroyed by a fire in May 2013. Thereafter, the reconstruction of the new Container Freight Station – 1 (CFS - 1) was successfully completed with the latest state-of-the-art and updated warehousing facilities including a Warehouse Management System (WMS) covering a total floor area of  5,100 square metres.  The newly-opened CFS – 1 will facilitate operations of both Local Container Loads (LCL) and Multi Country Consolidation (MCC) cargo at the Port of Colombo. CFS – 1 occupies 1,000 square metres for Dangerous Cargo (DC) operations and 4,000 square metres for General Cargo operations. 

Speaking at the occasion, Minister Samarasinghe said that through the discussions made with the Heads of Divisions of SLPA, the challenges to be faced as an institution have been identified. 

“With the discussions we have already had with the trade unions that can be considered as our strength, we were able to effectively address and discuss several issues that needed timely implementation to develop this institution. We will also continue discussions with each trade union separately and I am sure such procedures will add confidence and encourage all of us to work efficiently to boost the productivity of this institution,” the Minister said. 

He also spoke about creating a favourable working environment within the industrial institution to motivate employees to voluntarily come forward to work competitively and efficiently. 

“Fulfilling a major request by every trade union inside the port at the initial discussions regarding the meals supplied to employees, from tomorrow onwards port employees will receive the best qualitative meals that have ever be given in the history of the port and we will constantly monitor the quality of meals given to employees from the central kitchen, ensuring there will be no drop in quality in the meals offered to our employees,” the Minister added. 

He urged every employee and other line institutions to join hands together as members of one family in the forward march to work efficiently and boost productivity at the port. 

“Such procedures will enhance our capacity to boost productivity with no extra effort,” the Minister said.   

The reconstructions of CFS – 1 at the Port of Colombo commenced in January 2016 in two stages. Stage I included a 45 metres by 52.5 metre warehouse that consists of a floor area of 1,800 square metres. Constructions of this section were completed early and operations commenced following its reopening on the initiative of President Maithripala Sirisena on 10 August 2016. 

Under the reconstruction of this complete warehouse facility, a modern warehouse with all the requisite facilities such as an office complex for warehouse staff, IT facilities, a public address system, a CCTV system, sky-lighting for direct sunlight, turbine ventilators and lock-up stores have been established. 

A traffic plan for the entire warehouse has also been introduced with two new exits for empty prime movers and delivery vehicles. Open sheds and grill areas have been constructed outside the warehouse for the urgent handling of inflammable cargo. 

The overall construction of CFS – 1 was assigned amongst divisions of the SLPA such as the Civil Engineering, Contracts and Designs, Mechanical Works and Electrical divisions to ensure a total solution as an in-house construction with direct labour from the SLPA. The total cost of construction excluding labour is roughly Rs. 175 million.

Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping L.P. Jayampathy, the newly-appointed Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) P.G. Dasanayake, the Managing Director of SLPA H.D.A.S. Premachandra, the newly-appointed Executive Director of SLPA H.A. Wimalasooriya, Additional Managing Director of SLPA Janaka Kurukulasooriya, Director (Logistics) of SLPA Upali De Zoysa, Chief Engineer (C&D) of SLPA D.G.I.C. Lokuhewage, Director Customs Lalitha Weerasinghe, Directors, Heads of Divisions, executive staff members and a number of employees  of SLPA and line institutions also attended the opening of the fully-reconstructed Container Freight Station - 1 (CFS - 1).