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Shipping
Colombo Port promoted to world's 27th port
At a time the whole world is facing an economic downturn, the report
'Top 30 Container Ports in the World in 2008' published in the magazine
'Containerization International' recently, has placed Colombo Port in
the 27th place among the best container ports of the world in 2008.
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The Colombo South Harbour Development Project with US$ 300
million funding from ADB, is one of the largest jobs of work in
progress. With the completion of the project, four terminals
will function. Here a vessel is in the process of dredging to
deepen the sea bed to accommodate large ships. |
This is due to the resulted achievement by the Port of Colombo
maintaining a growth of handling 0.31 million of TEUs in 2008, compared
to 2007. In the year 2007 the Port of Colombo handled a total of 3.38
million TEUs and in the year 2008 it has been increased up to a total
handling of 3.69 TEUs, a growth of 9.1%.
Regional and other global ports such as Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Hamburg
in Germany, Los Angeles, Long Beach and New York in the US and Dallan in
China have shown only a negative growth during 2008 and have also lost
their previous higher positions in the list of ranking. Although the
global port such as Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Busan,
Rotterdam, Antwerp, Port Tanjung Pelepas, Xiaman, Tokyo, Tanjung Priok,
Jawaharlal Nehru, Yokohama and Gioia Tauro have shown positive growth
rates in the world ranking, they have all maintained a lower rate of
growth compared to the Port of Colombo in 2008. Only eight ports
including Dubai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Gungzhou, Tianjin, Port Klang, Bremen,
Laem Chabang and Valencia have been able to exceed their growth rates
against the growth rate of 9.1% of the Port of Colombo in 2008.
Hence, the leading first five ports namely Singapore, Shanghai, Hong
Kong, Shenzhen and Busan that have positive growth rates in this ranking
list have also been unable to exceed the growth rate of 9.1% maintained
by the Port of Colombo.
Compared to these results all achievements acquired by the Port of
Colombo under such pressurized world economic conditions are the results
of long term contributions and dedications through a collective effort
and team work of its human resource. Under the able guidance of Port and
Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, recent measures taken to elevate the
efficiency of human resource and other mechanisms implemented at Sri
Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and necessary steps taken to obtain new
technology and necessary operating gear and equipments have been
directly resulted in the elevation of the TEU handling capacities
successfully, in the Port of Colombo.
At present, a three year development plan has been initiated and
implemented with the initiative of the Chairman of SLPA Dr. Priyath
Bandu Wickrema at SLPA, aiming better and higher efficiency and
productivity levels at SLPA in all sectors of its operations. The total
process has also won recognition and strengthened the reliability of the
giant global shipping lines upon SLPA driving the whole Port of Colombo
towards a successful mission amidst this crisis.
At a time the whole world has been hit by a giant economic down turn
and the leading global ports are badly hit by their drastic drop of
Container through puts, Port of Colombo has managed to sustain, along
with the effective measures implemented at SLPA with the initiative of
its Chairman Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama and the management led by the
Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola encouraging the Port
of Colombo to run efficiently maintaining a minimum loss of growth rates
while effectively facing the future challenges of the global economic
downturn a statement issued by the SLPA states.
TCDPAP, FIDIC/ASPAC Conference concludes on Mar.14
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Malith Mendis
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The Chief Executive and Director of LHI Coast and Water, The Lanka
Hydraulic Institute, Malith Mendis is now in Kathmandu to address the
TCDPAP and FIDIC/ASPAC Conference to present the country paper for Sri
Lanka on behalf of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Sri Lanka
(ACESL).
TCDPAP is the Technical Consultancy Development Programme for Asia
and Pacific, organized under the aegis of UN ESCAP, which recognizes the
service sector is the major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product
and consultancy is a strong instrument for developing National Economy.
Today TCDPAP is represented by consulting associations from Asia and
Pacific with representation from both private and Government sectors.
TCDPAP plays an effective role in the promotion of consulting
profession and is instrumental in resolving problems inherent in the
consultancy industry in Asia and the Pacific region, and for promoting
collaboration and global partnership among the industry members.
The Kathmandu conference is appropriately themed: "Making
Globalization Work: The Role of Consultants" will conclude on March 14.
The chief guest is the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Prachanda. |
