Due to President's initiative:

Hambantota Port sees light of day

by Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

A large number of employment opportunities will be created in different fields such as engineering, marketing, hospitality trade, cargo handling and many more.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will ceremonially inaugurate the Hambantota Port Development project today, which will mark a turning point not only in the socio-economic standards of the people of the South, but also the pride to the entire nation in the country.

Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Dr. Priyath B. Wickrema who is playing an anchor role in the development project said that Hambantota Port Development Project was launched with a clear vision and firm commitment to make it one of the best harbours not only in South East Asia but also in the whole world mainly due to its fine geographical location which is open an accessible to most important naval routes.

"We have focused our attention to turn this harbour to a maritime hub in the region in near future where most of the regional maritime trading will take place at ease which will immensely benefit our economy to enhance."

"Hambantota port had been in existence for a long period in the history and most of the transportation were effected through this town but with the advent of the foreign powers specially during the colonial period, Hambantota harbour was neglected and Colombo started to flourish."

The other important aspect of this project is the manner in which we designed the construction framework. Usually the first step is to construct a breakwater resistance and fill up the sea or to look for a natural breakwater and fill the sea.

But here at Hambantota we have dug up the dry soil from the main land without the breakwater facility and paved the way for the construction work which is supposed to be a great engineering feat in the construction of harbours.

"Over 95 percent of our imports and exports are transported to and from the country by ships. Hambantota harbour will have all the facilities where any big ship could be easily berthed Hambantota harbour will cater to all comprehensive needs of the ships and its crew members with all modern and sophisticated methods where by earning substantial foreign exchange to the country.

A large number of employment opportunity will be created indifferent fields such as engineering, marketing, hospitality trade, cargo handling and many more.

The other important aspect is that lot of investors will come over here to invest in various related projects and we hope to encourage them with possible tax exemptions and some concessions.

Commenting on how profits are made when granting tax exemptions and too many concessions, he said these facilities are initially granted in other countries such as Singapore and Dubai mainly to attract the investors. "When they come and establish here, large number of employment opportunities will be created for our youth so that our economy will automatically improve."

As one of the chief architects of this whole exercise, I am a very happy man today. "But it was a very cumbersome process at the beginning. We were confronted with a large number of obstacles that came up from local and international forces and some politically motivated sections who have different political agendas. But our firm determination and President Mahinda Rajapaksa's sheer commitment to this project paved the way for us to make a reality."

From July, 2008 the port was originally scheduled to be completed in 3 years. However due to the dedication of the local engineers and the port construction workers it is being completed ahead of schedule and will be opened in November this year, allowing the first ship to berth in November this year.

He said that project has shattered the myth that expertise of foreign engineers for implementation of major projects and pointed out that Hambantota is completely an indigenous project and it was designed by local engineers and is being implemented by local engineers with the assistance of local workers. Only a few hundred Chinese technical personnel are being employed by the Chinese contractor.

Mr. Wickrema pointed out that anyone who visit the port site can see by themselves Sri Lankans operations several hundred back-hoes and hauling stones and sands to the dumping sites in over 500 dump trucks daily. The Port Site draws several thousand visitors to the site each day from various parts of the country, and a special observation platform has also been constructed to facilitate these visitors.

He said on completion of the Harbour Project it will provide berthing facilities to 44 ships at a time whereas the Colombo harbour can provide berthing facilities to only 10 - 12 ships at a time which would make it the biggest port in South Asia.

Meanwhile plans are also under way to commence the second stage of the Hambantota Port development project in November. It is scheduled to be completed in three years. The Chairman said that they are currently negotiating to obtain credit facility to the project.

"We are confident of obtaining the necessary funds for the project as the first stage was successfully completed ahead of schedule and this is a very viable project," he said.

The second phase of the harbour construction project will commence in November at a cost of US $ 800 million. The second phase will be completed within three and a half years.

The contribution of the Ports Authority to the national GDP by now is 10 percent and it will increase to 40 percent by 2020. At the initial stage 25,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities will be generated by the harbour. By the third year since commencing operations of the harbour the amount will increase to 50,000.

After completing all four phases, the harbour will provide more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs. "This is not a unachievable target as the harbour will be five times bigger than the Colombo Harbour," Wickrema added.

He said over 70,000 ships pass close to Hambantota annually and their main target is to attract 7,500 ships. "Colombo's annual ship density is around 6,000 and this itself projects the value of the Hambantota Port," he said.

The Exim Bank of China is funding the first phase of the project.