Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port records highest cargo volumes during Covid 19 pandemic
The cargo volumes at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota International Port (HIP) have reportedly recorded a steady increase by reaching an all-time high during the months of December 2020 and January, despite the challenges faced by the ports and shipping industry last year.
Local media reports have stated that HIP has remained consistent in its progress.
A total of 388,031 units of RORO were achieved in 2020, with 58,996 units handled in the month of December, the highest recorded since the port’s inception. The second highest volume was handled in January this year which is 55,068 units, according to local media reports.
“Managing the high need for manpower for operations while ensuring that our employees were protected was one of our biggest priorities in the past year,” Senior General Manager – Operations Sylesh Peerez has been quoted as saying. “We managed this successfully, on a roster basis, ensuring that we met the high demand while strictly adhering to Covid-19 health and safety guidelines,” he has added.
According to reports, the consistency of HIP’s cargo volumes was first seen in the month of September 2020 and can be constituted to HIPG’s aggressive marketing activities in the first half of 2020 as well as the introduction of new RORO business models.
This strategy has reportedly paid dividends with the transshipment of thousands of vehicles via Sri Lanka’s southern port, during a period when the country itself is under a ban on vehicle imports. Vehicles coming from India, Korea, Japan and China are discharged at HIP for transshipment to the Middle East, South Africa and South America.
Reports further state that the port was not only successful in increasing their RORO cargo but experienced improved volumes of LPG and dry bulk cargo handling, taking their overall figure of cargo handled to 1,788,995 Metric Tons. Of this, 388,031 units were RORO cargo, a noteworthy achievement in a rather tough year of lockdowns and restrictions and a considerable improvement from the figures of 2019.
OSL take:
The cargo volumes recorded by the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka is indicative of the island closing upon its target of becoming a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean and the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country will help make the island a maritime hub in the South Asian region. This has resulted in the expansion of business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s ports, shipping and logistics sectors. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore explore business opportunities in Sri Lanka’s maritime industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20210315/Z_1 |