Immediate measures to conclude port development activities

Ridma Dissanayake

Port development activities which were hitherto confined to the Colombo harbour has now expanded considerately with the dawn of peace. At present, all construction and reconstruction of five port development projects have been initiated and the Ports Authority has taken immediate measures to conclude all these construction activities, said Ports and Highway Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena. Accordingly, Kankesanthurai harbour is to be developed as the third international harbour in Sri Lanka after Colombo and Ruhunu Magampura harbours, he added. Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena was addressing a press briefing at the Information Department recently.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken measures to develop Sri Lanka as a naval hub through his Mahinda Chinthana Future Vision and we have made great initiatives to make that effort a success under his guidance. In the past, terrorism was a huge threat to the economic development of the country. Now it has ended and we have the freedom to lead Sri Lanka towards achieving our development goals,” the minister said.

According to the minister, the first terminal of the Ruhunu Magampura port has been completed. Nearly 85 percent of constructions of the Oluvil Harbour too is over and it is to be opened before the end of next year. The government is to develop the Trincomalee and Galle harbours as industrial and tourism harbours and a tourism zone in the Trincomalee harbour premises is to be built.

All measures have also been taken to establish a cargo village in Peliyagoda to service the Colombo Port and it will help to make more space for containers than at present.

“The government is always moving forward while facing many challenges and it will not turn back because of criticisms or other allegations,” the minister said.