Filling sea water to the harbour basin of Hambantota Port today:

Business community hails landmark project

By the Business Desk

Asia’s deepest and geographically unique port in Hambantota will be ready to berth its first ship in November this year. The new harbour in the South was acclaimed by the business community as a landmark development project that would put Sri Lanka in the spotlight for global business and make the country the trading hub for South-East Asia.

Chairman, Master Divers and Maubima Lanka Foundation Ariyaseela Wickramanayake said the Hambantota harbour is the largest in the world and will be the hub port of Asia.

“Ship owners will set up offices in the port with engines and spare parts for ships stored at the harbour. There will be plenty of jobs created as business progresses”, Wickramanayake said.

Chairman, Aitken Spence Maritime, Director Aitken Spence PLC and Former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake said from a socio-economic point of view the Hambantota Port will create economic activities and help alleviate poverty by creating jobs.

The Chairman of HVA Lanka Exporters (Pvt) Ltd Rohan Fernando said that the Hambantota Port project is one of the greatest achievements in Sri Lanka. Its contribution to the economy will be more than that of the Mahaweli Development Project.

“This is a marvellous achievement and as Sri Lankans we are proud of it. It is a dry port situated in a strategic location and we can attract service businesses related to the shipping industry immediately”, he said.

Ariyaseela Wickramanayake

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake

Rohan Masakorala

Nawaz Rajabdeen

Dr. Ravi Liyanage

Sujeiva Samaraweera

Fernando said exporters will benefit in the long-term but not immediately. Export processing businesses and investments may shift to the South in the future and the Southern province will develop as an economic hub.

Immediate Past Chairman Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Sri Lanka, Nawaz Rajabdeen said the new port will stimulate the Southern economy and will be a boon to the development of the country.

“Hambantota will be an active port which India would also like to make use of. The country could reap the benefits of the port in a few years time”, he said.

Chairman, Ports Shipping and Aviation Committee, National Chamber of Commerce, Sujeiva Sa maraweera said the Chamber commends the government for initiating the mega port project that would boost the shipping industry and enhance economic benefits to the country. “The new port in Hambantota will help Sri Lanka to be a trading hub in South-East Asia and would provide a range of benefits to the people in the South”, he said.

Secretary General, Asian Shippers’ Council, Rohan Masakorala said the Hambantota harbour creates opportunities to attract new markets for the shipping industry and added that it is a good concept that would have long-term benefits to the economy. “Colombo primarily handles container cargo whereas nearly 70 percent in the world are other types of ships.

The Hambantota Port will be ideal to service ships and expand maritime services”, he said.

Chairman, Kingdom of Raigam, Dr. Ravi Liyanage said the Hambantota Port will help decentralise business activities and focus on regional development. “The strategic location of the port would benefit global shipping lines by saving on time, cost and other charges. Warehousing, ship repairs, transportation, transhipment operations and freight forwarding are some of the major benefits of the port to the region”, Dr.Liyanage said.

Immediate Past Chairman, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Saliya Senanayake said the Hmbantota Port will take off a major load of the business in Colombo which has been facing space crunch.

“Hambantota has the potential to become a major port in the region. The port will provide avenues for warehousing, ship repairs and other link services that would generate jobs and income to rural families”, Senanayake said.

* The port basin will be filled with water today at a ceremony presided over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who spearheaded the landmark project.

* Around 1,200 acres of land to be filled by sea water will make Hambantota the largest international harbour on land that would handle over 7,000 ships a year.

* It is reported that around 700 vessels pass Hambantota daily and that attracting one third of that fleet would benefit the port.

* The port will provide facilities for ship building and repairing. A car manufacturer from the Far East with manufacturing facilities in India has requested assembly facilities inside the port.

* Parallel to the port there will be a safari park in Ridiyagama, a botanical garden in Mirijjawila, an International Convention Centre in Siribopura and a cricket stadium built in Hambantota.

* The Matara-Kataragama railway project will be extended from Hambantota to Ratnapura in keeping with the concept to link all major cities in the country.