Cey Nor strengthens boat building

Shirajiv Sirimane

Cey Nor Foundation has launched a novel private public partnership programme to strengthen the boat building industry.

Cey Nor Chairman, Rohan Jayasinghe - Picture by Saliya Rupasinghe

Cey Nor Chairman, Rohan Jayasinghe said this was initiated to get the much talked about private public partnership concept going. “Cey Nor being a Government funded institute under the Ministry of Fisheries has tremendous resources.

“We have man power, several boat building yards and other infrastructure.”

The general thought today is Government institutions are wasting taxpayers’ money.

“We want to change this concept and have invited taxpayers to join us and work hand in hand to promote the industry,” he said.

This idea had been promoted during recent times and there had been a good response with several people already responding.

Boat building designer, S. Sivagnagam from Bandarawela is one such person who had contacted Cey Nor. He has secured export orders from Holland to supply leisure boats and was in a quandary as to how he was going to undertake this order. “I met Cey Nor officials who have now come forward to partner me to supply this order,” he said.

Cey Nor will manufacture the boats and would sign an MoU for profit sharing with Sivagnagam.

A freelance boat building consultant, Jayanatha Perera is another who is negotiating with the Foundation.

“I do not have funds but have the marketing, design and manufacturing background in the industry.

I have come to an understanding with Cey Nor and will work with them,” he said.

Jayasinghe says that there are many international orders for leisure boats since it is expensive to manufacture them in Europe due to high labour costs and other overheads. “This is where Sri Lanka has an opening as Europeans are happy with the quality of Sri Lanka manufactured leisure boats,” he said.

The Foundation is also exporting boats and fish nets and is in the process of opening a joint venture company in Bangladesh.

There efforts were also recognised at the recently held Suriya Sinha awards ceremony held last week at BMICH.