Port of Colombo kicks off 2018 with strong growth

The Colombo Port has started the new year on a strong note with transhipment and overall throughput increasing in January. 

Total containers handled in January amounted to 484,866 TEUs, up 16.4% from a year earlier. 

Transhipment volume had grown by 20.4% to 463,303 TEUs. All terminals - the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)-operated Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) and the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) - have contributed to this growth.

The SLPA-controlled JCT saw its transhipment volume increase 43.7% to 164,252 TEUs and total throughput up 24.8% to 194,688 TEUs.

Ship arrivals at the Port of Colombo in January 2018 also showed an increase of 8.1% to 388 whilst container vessels rose 9.2% to 332.

The relationship between the management and SLPA trade unions and collaborative support by all parties and stakeholders engaged in the port operations process has effectively contributed to the increase of productivity at SLPA. Creating history, the Port of Colombo for the first time has recorded 6.2 million container operations in December last year.

Under the leadership of Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, and instructions of SLPA Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, the positive increase at SLPA-controlled terminals, especially the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), is reasoned towards direct and straightforward decisions reached by the management that has also won employee recognition and credibility for such implementation. 

The JCT, owned and operated by SLPA, has expressed steady growth of operating volumes since October 2017. Accordingly, container operations at the JCT have increased 5.3% in October, 8.2% in November and 13.9% in December 2017. At present, productivity at the JCT has increased 3.2% for Feeder Vessels and 9.4% for Main Lines. 

SLPA at present, has prepared a three-year development plan to expedite the port sector development process in the country to further increase container volumes. These developments are aimed at making Colombo a maritime centre in Asia.