Mahinda Rajapaksa Port celebrates calling of 100th ship
Monday, 26 August 2013 00:00
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The Automobile Carrier MV ‘Istra Ace’ owned by Mitsui OSK Line, made its maiden call at the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port (MRMRP) in Hambantota recently this month (August 2013) pushing the Vessel Arrivals count at MRMRP up to one hundred within a period of a little over one year since the commencement of its operations. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Lanka Ltd. acts as the local agent for Mitsui OSK Line.
On 06 June last year, MRMRP commenced handling RO-RO transhipment operations. Within the port’s first year of operation, it has handled more than 35,000 units which included nearly 15,000 transhipments and 21,000 imports.
The vessel MV ‘Istra Ace’ is registered under the flag of Bahamas State and has a carrying capacity of 4,900 units. With its first vessel, the iron-hulled steamer HIDEYOSHI MARU beginning ocean transport of Miike coal from Kuchinotsu in Japan to Shanghai in China, Osaka Shosen Kaisha (O.S.K Lines) was founded in 1884.
Expressing views on its maiden call at MRMRP, the Master of the vessel Capt. Bochkaryov Sergiy stated that MRMRP is one of the best-performing ports in the region and growing recognition as one of the front-rank international maritime centres. “The position of the port and the services rendered are of the highest quality. The Expansion to be taken place with the oncoming massive development activities around this port, which include free zones providing tax havens and bunkering facilities, is sure to realise a long term dream of the vessels sailing in the Indian Ocean, and those involved in the field of Supply Chain Management as well,” he added.
With the international glory and attraction gained within a very short period as an industrial port, today, MRMRP has arrested an unprecedented attraction of the shippers around the globe as one of the world’s most efficient ports.
On a special note issued by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) on the arrival of the 100th RO-RO vessel at the port, SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama states that the correct managerial practices employed at the new port during the recent past has given a turbo boost to its recognition and attraction in the international maritime domain as one of the world’s best and most reliable ports in the region. He also adds that these achievements are encouraging outputs of the efficient services extended by the port, resulted from the implementation of the strategic port operation procedures by SLPA in the ports of Sri Lanka.
Contributing his views to the note, SLPA Managing Director Capt. Nihal keppetipola, opines that the concept behind the MRMRP would doubtless change course of the entire economic landscape in this country over the next five years, with the port being declared as a free zone by the GOSL recently. He also states that even though MRMRP has also garnered criticism, it has already received approximately US$ 700 million foreign direct investments from commercial ventures.
