Jaffna district gets Merchant Shipping Secretariat and the Merchant Shipping Slipway

The Merchant Shipping Secretariat and the Merchant Shipping Slipway was declared open last week under the auspices of the Minister of Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of Parliament Angajan Ramanathan. 

Speaking at the event, Angajan said: “The Jaffna District is a district that is surrounded by sea and there is a myriad number of opportunities and potential for sea travel and cargo movement in the region. 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has named four cities as strategic cities, and Jaffna is among these cities, given that the district has a Sea Port, Airport and a comprehensive railway network. With access to all modes of transport, Jaffna is suitably placed to attract greater investments in the region. 

“I wish to leave a request with the Minister of Ports and Shipping, to consider commencing ferry services between the Port of Karaikal in India and the port of Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka, which has been in discussion for quite some time. I also wish to urge the Minister to consider developing the port of Kankesanthurai into a fully functional commercial port opening many economic avenues,” stated President Rajapaksa. 

Speaking at the event, Minister of Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardena said:  “The Government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has given equal importance in terms of development to all parts of the country, with special focus on improving the economy of the Northern Province. 

“Now we have a good opportunity to develop the Northern Province, which had been battered by a 30-year-long conflict. Every Ministry under this Government has the responsibility to place emphasis on the development of the region. 

“Accordingly, we have decided to focus on developing the port of Kankesanthurai, allowing for the flow of goods in and out of the region. We will make the port of Kankesanthurai an established commercial port. All the jobs created as a result will be offered to the youth of this region. We have approximately 16,000 crew members working in ships and they are bringing in remittances of up to $ 300 million and we need to increase this by creating more sailors in the country, especially from this region.”