Sri Lanka Ports Authority assigns Colombo Dockyard to build pilot boats to improve efficiency at Colombo Port
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has reportedly assigned Colombo Dockyard a US$ 3.12 million order to build two pilot boats for the Authority, which is expected to improve efficiency at the Colombo Port.
The Colombo Port is now considered a prominent trans-shipment hub in the South Asian region.
Ports, Shipping and Southern Development Minister of Sri Lanka Sagala Ratnayaka has stated that the Colombo Dockyard would deliver the pilot boats in 10 months.
A statement issued by the Ministry has stated that Colombo Port currently has four pilot boats, with the fleet last upgraded in 2007.
“The Colombo Port has become busier over the years and its infrastructure needs to be developed allowing it become more competitive on a global scale,” Ratnayaka has said.
The two new pilot boats will be faster than existing pilot boats in the fleet and better equipped to handle modern ships that call at Colombo Port.
Ship arrivals at Sri Lankan ports have reportedly grown by 1.9 percent to 3,716 in the first nine months of 2018 from a year ago.
Ratnayake has stated that Colombo Dockyard was selected through a Cabinet-approved procurement process.
OSL take:
The requirement of pilot boats to further enhance operations in the Colombo Port by the SLPA indicates the continuous expansions in the maritime and shipping industry in Sri Lanka. The winning of the bid by Colombo Dockyard on the other hand portrays the strength of local companies in manufacturing equipment required by the shipping industry. All these actions indicate the developments in Sri Lanka’s ports and shipping sector. Sri Lanka is in the process of reaching hub status in the Indian Ocean given these developments aided by the country’s geographical positioning in the Ocean. Therefore, foreign businesses/investors could explore business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s maritime and shipping industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/11022019/Z_2 |