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Dutch Govt to provide dredger for Port

On November 22 the government of The Netherlands and the government of Sri Lanka signed a financing agreement on the delivery of a self propelled Grab Hopper Dredger for the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

The dredging ship will be designed, constructed, tested and delivered by IHC Holland NV, a large shipyard in The Netherlands. The total contract sum amounts to 4,837,563 Staling Pounds (approx.Lkr 461 mln.) of which 25 per cent (1,209,391 Staling Pounds) will be financed by the Dutch government under its ORET grant scheme. The 75 per cent balance (3,628,172 Staling Pounds) will be paid by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The transaction includes training and spare parts to guarantee satisfactory operation of the dredger for a period of at least two years. Construction of the ship will take approximately 11 months, a media release from the Royal Netherlands Embassy stated.

The ORET programme is designed to help generate employment and boost trade and industry in developing countries. The programme reduces the costs for developing countries of eligible projects through the award of grants for the purchase of capital goods, services or works from The Netherlands it said.

This is the second constitutive transaction, financed under the ORET-programme, between SLPA and IHC Holland NV. Earlier, on 4 October 2001, the keys of a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger, built by the same Dutch company and named "Hansakawa", were handed over the Chairman of the SLPA by the previous Deputy Minister for Ports and Shipping.

IHC Holland NV is the world's largest builder of dredgers with over 100 years experience in building Dredgers and their customers have been all major ports and dredging contractors worldwide.

The ship will be the eleventh Dregder to be acquired by the Port of Colombo (the second by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority). With increased capacity and better performance, this acquisition will generate an efficient and reliable service at lower dredging costs.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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