National shipping policy a long- felt need - NCCSL

Ports & Shipping committee of the National Chamber thanked the Government in declaring a enthusiastic and practical shipping policy that has looked into various aspects of developing the ports and shipping industry in the country, said Sujeewa Samaraweera the Chairman of the Ports and Shipping Committee of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL),Sujeewa Samaraweera said.

He also said: ‘The Chamber made several representations during the past few years highlighting the dire need in preparing a broad based shipping policy document which when implemented will help Colombo become the shipping and logistical hub in the South East Asia.

‘One of the recommendations that we made was to introduce a strong marketing strategy going well beyond confining all ports and shipping related activates under government control as conventionally done. We are happy that this recommendation was strongly taken up in the new policy document.

‘We also see that all the players in the sector were considered as real stake holders of the sector in the new policy.

‘The truth is that we have all this time under estimated the large potential that Sri Lanka has to become the number one shipping hub in the region purely due to our geographical location and the availability of the natural harbours.

‘These natural resources will help Sri Lanka to develop the ports and shipping industry well beyond servicing the export and import trade only.

‘We have a large potential for transshipment, bunkering, ship repairs, ship building all of which were not looked at in a planned manner.

‘The policy document has given due consideration to develop Sri Lanka as a leading ports and shipping service provider thereby making a significant contribution to the GDP, Samaraweera said.

‘This could be possible with the emphasis given to establish the state of the art ports, commitment to excellence through setting up of new standards with continuous improvements to all aspects connected to sea borne, unimpeded access to reliable and competitive maritime and logistic services, provide ancillary services, develop a competitive national merchant shipping fleet, provide ship bunkering and ship repairs facilities, ensure the safety of life at sea and prevent marine pollution and to produce trained sea farers to the world all of which were given due consideration in the new document’