Colombo International Maritime Conference in Sept

The Colombo International Maritime Conference (CIMC) was held for the first time in 2015, under the guidance of Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga.

Minister Ranatunga obtained Cabinet approval to declare a Sri Lanka Maritime Week, in the last week of September to commemorate the International Maritime Day and UN observance annually.

The Cabinet of Ministers has given the consent to continue the CIMC as an annual event to promote high level discussion of the maritime economy of Sri Lanka and the region. The Minister will chair the event this year in his capacity as Minister of Ports and Shipping.

Briefing the organising committee last week, the minister said, given global conditions and the challenges faced by the shipping and logistics industry it is important to have cross-border dialogue and share global ideas and views through the CIMC 2016. He also emphasised the importance of the industry working together.

He outlined the importance of promoting, marketing and creating awareness of the Sri Lankan maritime industry as Sri Lanka has the ability to be one of the most efficient hubs for logistics and shipping. The government has already embarked on development projects and many investors have come forward for shipping industry projects, he said. Ministry Secretary L.P. Jayampathy was also present.

CIMC 2016 will be held in Colombo from September 21-23, where the South Asia Maritime Forum, emerging markets in Africa and Myanmar, technology innovations and logistics will be among many topics that would be discussed with global maritime experts. Last year about 500 international and local delegates attended the three-day event.

The Minister said that while there were short term challenges, the new administration hopes to develop the Port of Colombo and the Hambantota and Trincomalee ports.