'We offer much more' emphasizes Minister Rishad:
'SL our shipbuilding hub' says Seychelles
Also looking for direct air-links:
Sri Lanka has become the shipbuilding hub for Seychelles. More
importantly, Seychelles is looking for direct air-links with Sri Lanka.
"The strong interest of Seychelles for direct air-links with Sri Lanka
is a promising development. This can help towards further enhancing the
$ 2 m annual bilateral trade between both countries" said Minister of
Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen (centre)
greets the visiting foreign Minister of Seychelles Jean Paul
Adams (left). Tilak Collure, Secretary to the Ministry of
Industry and Commerce looks on |
Minister Bathiudeen was addressing visiting foreign Minister of
Seychelles Jean Paul Adams who paid a courtesy call on Minister
Bathiudeen last week in Colombo. The in-depth discussion between both
Ministers spanned a variety of topics on mutual trade cooperation.
"As Sri Lanka enters a new phase of development under the leadership
of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, we are now working to make the country
the economic hub of Asia. This is a good time to invest in Sri Lanka.
Among the promsing sectors that Seychelles business can invest are
fisheries, shipbuilding, and tourism" Minister Bathiudeen said.
Responding to Minister Bathiudeen, Minister Paul Adams said: "I see many
complementarities between both countries. Seychelles uses many sea
vessels built in Sri Lanka. In fact, Sri Lanka has become our
shipbuilding hub in the Indian Ocean. We use many Sri Lankan produced
vessels in inter-island transport services.
"Colombo is also becoming a major marine hub for us due to the close
proximity in comparison to South Africa and as Colombo harbour expands,
it can help us to trade without unnecessarily anchoring at regional
container ports, the exception being Salala Port in Oman which is
capable of handling largest container vessels in the world.
"Our shipping industry is looking for more and more medium and small
scale vessels, rather than large scale vessels, to navigate in between
our islands.
"We are also keen on Sri Lanka's tourism and seafood. We are
expecting 350000 tourists in the coming year and most tour operators in
Seychelles want to prepare joint holiday packages combining Seychelles
beaches and Sri Lanka's scenic tea hills, jungle safaris, and temples
which are the most sought after locations in Sri Lanka by tourists
exiting Seychelles and the Dubai hub. Our tour operators are using their
previous experience in creating joint Seychelles-Africa tour packages
for this type of travel adventures. We also need to enhance maritime
collaboration between Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
"More importantly, we want more and more seafood from Sri Lanka. The
Sri Lankan seafood is the tastiest we receive from among Asian
countries. Our seafood importers are especially keen to import Sri
Lankan sea cucumber, prawns, crabs and lobsters. We believe that
establishing direct air-links between Seychelles and Sri Lanka will
enormously help our importers and also to enhance levels of current
bilateral trade."
According to the Department of Commerce, the total trade between Sri
Lanka and Seychelles has been at very low level over the years and in
the period of January to September 2011, bilateral trade stood at $ 2
million. Main products exported from Sri Lanka include tea, fishing
vessels, cereals and sausages and the main import products include
fennel, coriander, and cumin. Sri Lanka believes that gems and jewellery,
furniture and plastic products have exports potential in the Seychelles
market.
Responding to Minister Adams, Minister Bathiudeen said, "I too
observe many complementarities, especially in trade. The strong interest
of Seychelles for direct air-links with Sri Lanka is a promising
development and can help towards further enhancing the $ 2 million
annual bilateral trade levels between both countries. I am also pleased
to note that Seychelles declaring our seafood tastes better than most
seafood coming from Asia. Our fisheries sector is well equipped to
increase supplies to meet growing demand in Seychelles. We are also
ready to supply more medium and small scale vessels that fit."
There are around 20 to 25 active boat yards around Sri Lanka
producing various types of boats and about 6 to 7 boat yards currently
export their products. The best known sail makers of the world "North
Sails" has their factory operating in Biyagama Investment Promotion
Zone. The annual export turnover of boat exports exceeded $ 743,750 in
2010, increasing 80% from 2009.
"Among Sri Lanka's boat buyers are Seychelles, India, Bangladesh, the
Maldives and Mauritius. Ship and boat building services offered by Sri
Lanka belong to a wide range -from boats of different types and uses to
related but specialized services. Among the different types of boats are
yachts, pleasure and leisure boats, fishing boats, passenger, sports,
rescue, coast guard, patrol boats, fast attack crafts and general
purpose vessels while the related but specialized services include raw
material for boat building, preproduction services such as boat design,
lofting, plug making, mould making, supplying of engine, navigation and
communication equipment, refrigeration systems, sail makers, fire and
safety equipment and post production services such as boat storage and
transport devices, marinas, diving and fishing equipment, boat and
engine maintenance and repairs.
"The ship building and ship repair industry in Sri Lanka is capable
of producing passenger and cargo vessels, combat crafts using aluminum
and steel as raw material. |