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by Shirajiv Sirimane

DHL Express will invest Rs. 200 million to build a modern counter office in Colombo. According to the Area Director South Asia / Indochina Stephen Fenwick the investment would be made from their regional office. He said that due to the peace process they saw a growing market in Sri Lanka and this was the prime reason for them to invest in this venture.

The Regional Manager said that Sri Lanka could easily be the regional sea and air hub to service the Middle East and Asia. He said that the attitude of the government is positive and added that it should be more aggressive.

Speaking on the Sri Lankan operations he said that the Sri Lankan market had grown by around 15% last year and with the healthy situation in the country it should grow faster. "We are looking at double digit growth at the end of this year."

They were very excited that a new airport complex is being built in Colombo and are hoping to have their own facility in this new wing.

The company recently acquired the Airborne Express, which has a 20% market in USA. "We are always expanding globally and we want to do the same in Sri Lanka," he said. He said that the purpose of his visit to Sri Lanka was to attend the quarterly business review meeting where the performance of the local operation is evaluated and a collective approach is taken to address the key business challenges.

In Sri Lanka, DHL has just launched Fast Forward, a new product offering specifically catered to customers who have 20-50 kg Import or Export shipments.

The Fast Forward is also supplemented with a cost comparison tool and a Trade-Automation suite. 'Fast Forward' is a revolutionary way to transport heavy goods swiftly and securely to any destination, for much less than you expect. Whether you are importing components or exporting finished goods, you'll benefit from a wide range of innovative and flexible services that make Fast Forward the revolutionary and cost effective shipping solution," he said.

"Fast Forward is available for customers in Asia Pacific for inbound and outbound shipments to more than 220 countries."

He said that DHL has also made substantial headway in the area of improving Customs Clearance Capability with the assistance of Sri Lankan Customs.

DHL is the first Air Express Company to offer a Pre-clearance service for time sensitive inbound consignments, which in turn reduced the clearance and delivery time of urgent machine parts, raw material and fabric.

"DHL will continue to play the role of a trade facilitator, enabling local importers and exporters to move their Express consignments across international borders in a faster and cost effective manner," he said.

Asked to comment on how SARS and the Gulf War affected their business he said the two problems had a positive impact on the company. "Due to SARS, Gulf War and the September 11 incidents people were reluctant to travel. So what they did was to send parcels instead of them taking them personally."

DHL's Trade Automation Services is a revolutionary new offering that gives person online real-time access to comprehensive trade and customs information in 50 countries.Already covering over 80% of the world's trade and with eight million trade rules, it provides everything needed to ensure the accuracy of your customs paperwork, to calculate landed costs and to get goods to the market more profitably.

DHL Keells (Pvt.) Ltd, is the Sri Lanka agent for DHL Express.

www.crescat.com

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