SLPA new Chairman Capt. Nihal Keppetipola inspects JCT

SLPA Chairman Capt. Nihal Keppetipola inspects the Prime Mover Maintenance section during the inspection tour at the Jaya Container Terminal of SLPA. SLPA Director (Operations) Lal Weerasinghe, the Engineer of the Division, officers on duty, employees and trade union representatives are also seen

Capt. Nihal Keppetipola, the newly-appointed Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), made a sudden inspection visit at several sections of the Colombo Port recently.

SLPA Director (Operations) Lal Weerasinghe welcomed the new Chairman at the main building of the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT). The Chairman t inspected the present operations procedures of the JCT Operations Room, Terminal Planning section and the Information Systems (IS) Division. His visit to JCT and Operations Division of SLPA has enhanced the morale of the employees to promote their interest in the work. 

The Chairman also inspected the operations of JCT, and the Phase I, II, III, IV, the performance of gantry cranes at the terminal and the Phase ‘V’ extension project of JCT. 

Addressing the management team and employees at the JCT, he said that the main resource as identified by the SLPA was its human resource. “The Port of Colombo has the potential to become one of the best ports in the world,” he said.

Addressing the staff and employees, he also stated that promotions of staffs and employees, anomalies and welfare and administrative problems in the institution, which had been neglected for the past few years, would be addressed without delay. He stressed that SLPA would be made an institution where every employee can perform their duties willingly with pride, interest and happiness. He also said that every employee should work together towards that objective and that he hoped everyone would cooperate to achieve the institutional goals. He expressed confidence that this would enable the port to have an efficient and productive operational process as before.

During this visit, the Chairman also inspected the SLPA’s Central Kitchen complex under the Welfare and Industrial Relations Division. 

Speaking to the Monthly Purchase Tender Board and its suppliers at the kitchen, SLPA Chairman Capt. Nihal Keppetipola requested both parties to focus not only on prices but also the provision of quality food and beverages to the port employees. 

SLPA Chief Operations Manager (Container Operations) Jayantha Weerawickrama, Chief Manager (Information Systems) Nirmal De Fonseka, senior executive officers and staff of the Operations Division, Information Systems Division, Welfare and Industrial Relations Division and SLPA trade union representatives were also present at the occasion.