Colombo to become the logistic hub in the region

The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama said that while transforming Colombo to a major logistic hub in the region, SLPA is in the process of developing other ports of Sri Lanka simultaneously.

A team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently visited to inspect the construction work of the Colombo Port Expansion Project. The team comprises Vice President of the ADB Xiaoyu Zhao, Director General Kunio Senga, Sri Lanka Country Director Richard Vokes, Senior Advisor Nishan Zhang and the Project Implementation Officer Jagath Pettawadu. The SLPA said that the team expressed their satisfaction on the progress of construction work.

He said that the goal of the SLPA is not only to develop Colombo as a logistic hub but also to develop the entire country as a logistic hub in the Indian Ocean. "With that objective we have planned our future development activities.

Our vision is to consolidate the position of Sri Lanka as the premier maritime logistic centre of the Asian region," he said.

To achieve this goal SLPA is on a mission to increase its profitability, efficiency and the customer base by improving its service by developing infrastructure to international level.

In the development of the overall port sector in Sri Lanka SLPA will invest over US$ 1.2 billion from public funds and another US$ 500 million through private investments.

Sri Lanka should modernize and expand the air and seaports to cater to the demand in the growing economy as well as to exploit the geographical advantage the country has.

Dr. Wickrama said that SLPA has commenced the Colombo Port Expansion Project, the construction of the South port.

The project consists of the construction of the six km breakwater that costs US$ 345 million. The construction work of the breakwater was launched in April 2008 and now work is in progress.

He said that the RFP and BOT contracts for the first terminal the "South Container Terminal" will be evaluated within the next few months and the contract will be awarded by the end of this year. The terminal with a rated capacity of 2.5 million TEUs will consist of a quay of 1200 metres.

The construction work of the Hambantota Port Project is ahead of the schedule and it is expected that the first vessel will be berthed by December 2010.

The Kankasanthurai (KKS) port will also be cleared of all wrecks and be in operation in the near future. "We are not only looking at port development, he said.