Sri Lanka now a dynamic maritime hub – SLPA Chief 

Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama declared last week that the country became a dynamic maritime and logistics hub in the region in 2010.

He made this observation when he delivered the P.B. Karandawela Memorial Lecture on ‘Strategies for Port-Related Logistics Development following Colombo South Port and Hambantota Port Developments’.

The lecture was organised by the Council of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – Sri Lanka.

Expressing views at this special oration, the SLPA Chief stated that the invaluable contribution made by the late Karandawela to the maritime and transport section in Sri Lanka should be honoured all the time.

“The late Karandawela is widely regarded as the architect of development of maritime sector in this country through  the services rendered by him to the transport and shipping sector a secretary to the then Ministry of Shipping, Aviation and Tourism during the tenure of  the United front Government,” Dr. Wickrama recalled.

He also said that the vision of the present Government was to transform Sri Lanka into a strategically-important economic centre and in the policy document it had been emphasised that the port sector had to play a key role to develop Sri Lanka as a maritime hub of the region.

The Chairman further said that in view of the rapid development in all sectors of economy under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the liberation of the country from terrorism, the role to be played by the sea ports had become extremely important.

“Due to the geographical advantage in terms of location it is expected that volume of transhipment cargo and containers will be increased within the next few years.

In addition, import and export of local cargo by way of machinery, raw materials and intermediary goods that are required for various new industries and the export of manufacturing goods, agricultural products and all other similar products will also be increased,” SLPA Chief added.

On 18 November last year the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port was declared open and the SLPA is planning to open the Oluvil Port in the Eastern region this year, whilst the Colombo Port Expansion Project is scheduled to be completed by 2013.

Dr. Wickrama also stated that following the successful achievement of all these projects, the target of SLPA was to emerge as the maritime and logistics hub in the region by 2010.

The Chairman of the Chartered Institute of  Logistics and Transport Sri Lanka Prof. Amal Kumarage; Managing Director  of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola; Director (HR Development) Norman Weeraratne; Director (Finance) Shirani Wanniarachchi; Project Director of the Colombo Port Expansion Project Susantha Abeysiriwardana; Chief Engineer (Southern Port Development Project) Agil Hewageegana; Chairman of Event Sub-Committee Najith Samarawickrama; Geetha Karandawela and a large number of  members of the CILT council and the shipping trade were also present at the occasion.