Sri Lanka to construct Colombo North Port targeting requirements of 2040
Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Ports and Shipping, Sirimevan Ranasinghe has reportedly stated that the construction of the Colombo North Port is aimed for the requirements of 2040 and beyond.
He has further noted that by such time the expectations of the entire Colombo Port would be 28 million TEUs.
Ranasinghe has made this observation at the third annual general meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka Association of NVOCC Agents held in Colombo recently.
The Secretary has however cautioned that sufficient strides should be taken to make Lankan ports more attractive with new additions and more logistic facilities to attract more business and failing to do so would result in other ports in the region taking advantage.
He has further noted that Sri Lankan authorities should look at improving their capacity to handle more vessels and making value additions such as multiple countries consolidation (MCC) and creating full container load (FCL) to make the ports economical for ships to do their business.
The Secretary has noted that from a very early history, Sri Lanka has been at the centre of international trade and the country’s geographical positioning in the centre of the Indian Ocean has mandated most shipping liners to make use of Lankan harbours which were sufficiently deep and with so little deviations from the slots.
According to reports, Ranasinghe has requested the contribution of expertise of all stakeholders to help authorities take the right decisions that would lead to the overall improvement of the facilities of Colombo and other ports in the country.
OSL take:
The government of Sri Lanka is working towards making the island a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean region. There have been developments in Sri Lanka’s maritime sector resulting in the continuous growth recorded in the number of vessels calling at ports in the island. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean and it’s inclusion in China’s Belt and Road initiative has made the country an important location in the international maritime route. All this has resulted in the expansion of business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s maritime sector.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/06082019/Z_5 |