National policy promotes public private partnership - DG Merchant
Shipping
Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI
The implementation mechanism of the national policy will create an
environment for public-private partnership to establish the
infrastructure and services.
| ‘The
enormous contribution by Ports, Shipping and related
industries to the country’s economy, needs to be recognized
at all levels of decision making in the country, so that
priority could be given to capture the market on time’
|
This would include amendments to legislation and the creation of
systems conducive towards rapid decision making, said Director General,
Merchant Shipping Shantha Weerakoon.
He was speaking at a workshop for officials of the National Policy
for Ports, Shipping and Aviation on Tuesday at the Mahapola Training
Institute of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority
The workshop was held to finalize the National Policy for the
Maritime sector represented by all authorities in related areas.
He said that the enormous contribution by Ports, Shipping and related
industries to the country’s economy, needs to be recognized at all
levels of decision making in the country, so that priority could be
given to capture the market on time. This is of critical importance
because regional competition is building and a delay could result in
permanent loss of market share, he said.
According to the implementation mechanism of the national policy, a
team of local and international experts will be appointed to review all
laws relating to the Ports and Shipping sector and to recommend
appropriate modifications to the Acts governing the Sri Lanka Ports
Authority, Ceylon Shipping Corporation, Merchant Shipping and Marine
Pollution Prevention Authority.
A high level steering committee with representation of all related
ministries will be set up to ensure speedy implementation.
The executing agency will identify bottlenecks and co-ordination that
must be regularly addressed to the committee steering the project for
speedy resolution.
An executing committee comprising senior representatives of all
stakeholders from the Government and private sector will be appointed as
an ongoing committee that remains in force to ensure continuity to
realize the goal of making Sri Lanka the most competitive and preferred
Maritime and Logistic Centre in the Asian Region.
The final draft will be submitted for Cabinet approval shortly and
there will be a time frame for the public to express their views on the
policy, said Weerakoon. |
