Global, regional kudos for South Asia Gateway Terminals’ productivity

South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), the first private container terminal operator in Sri Lanka was ranked No. 1 in South Asia and No. 4 in the world for Terminal Productivity by the Journal of Commerce USA.

Chief Commercial Officer Ted Muttiah and Commercial and Marketing Manager Dhashma Karunaratne presented a ceremonial plaque to Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga, marking this prestigious recognition of Sri Lanka’s Container Terminal operational capability in the global arena.

The Minister of Ports and Shipping said, “This is a very good example of Sri Lanka’s capabilities. This Government is committed to developing the right structures for business to get on with doing business. Congratulations to SAGT, the SLPA and customers of the port.” He added, “Now let’s stay focused to climb the remaining three spots and continue to promote the best interests of the Port of Colombo.”

 SAGT’s berth productivity performance of 113 container moves per hour and an average of 34 container moves per hour per crane is ranked among the best in the world. In laymen’s terms this means a vessel with a 1,000 container move count (load and discharge) can be completed in under nine hours of quayside dwell time, deploying an average of 3.3 cranes.

Muttiah observed, “These high productivity benchmarks are achieved through the collaborative efforts of many stakeholders of the Port of Colombo. The SLPA as the regulator and landlord is an integral part of ensuring a fertile framework for high performance outcomes.”

“Our customers make an important contribution to the high-performance equation in the manner in which vessels are presented with a load/discharge plan allowing for optimum crane intensity”. He added “on behalf of Team SAGT, I extend our sincere appreciation to all of our stakeholders for their support over the last 16 years. Indeed this recognition of our high-performance is a culmination of many years of focused, determined and a very loyal team who are committed to be the best in what we do,” he added. 

SAGT, the first private stevedoring company in Sri Lanka (with over 50% of Sri Lankan shareholdership) commenced operations in 1999. SAGT is a Board of Investment company consisting of four shareholders – John Keells Holdings, APM Terminals, SLPA and Peony investments (subsidiary of Evergreen Marine Corporation).