All operations at Colombo Port returning to normal, says terminal trio

Friday, 27 November 2020 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) and Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) in a joint statement yesterday said all operations and other services at the Port of Colombo are swiftly returning to normal.

They said that due to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country, terminals in the Port faced an impact to its operations over the last week. Subsequently, collective action with decisive measures were implemented to restore operations and to ensure the well-being of all employees and port users.

“Accordingly, operations at Jaya Container Terminal, East Container Terminal, Unity Container Terminal, South Asia Gateway Terminal, and Colombo International Container Terminal are currently operating normally at quayside with yard operations and Inter-Terminal Transfers (ITT) being resorted in a planned fashion,” the joint statement said.

It said the Port of Colombo again demonstrated its resilience in its response to the second outbreak of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, with immediate execution of appropriate contingencies to ensure continuation of operations in full compliance with the Ministry of Health’s Public Health protocols.

Data shows that since 30 October, SAGT has successfully operated the three berths with the deployment of full quayside and yard equipment whilst delivering unimpeded gate operation for import and export cargo. Inter-Terminal Transfer (ITT) into and out of SAGT have been impeded by the congestion of the yards of the three terminals.

All terminals at the Port of Colombo are committed to enhancing a safe operating environment for all our stakeholders. Prior to the spread of COVID-19 second wave in the country, the SLPA and all other terminals implemented a strategic crisis management plan. Accordingly, all necessary health and strict safety precautionary measures implemented by SLPA, CICT, and SAGT over and above the Government regulations ensured the safety and well-being of our employees and port users. We are pleased to say that due to these precautionary measures taken in advance; all operations and other services are now running at full strength.

Considering the effort displayed by Port of Colombo, we are confident that we can return to normalcy and continue to extend the high level of service and efficiency our customers have become accustomed too. The supports and patience extended by our customers are invaluable and played a vital role in enabling the Port of Colombo to recover during this difficult juncture.

The SLPA has implemented all necessary steps for cargo clearance services online to encourage our customers to clear their Full Container Load (FCL) and/or Less than Container Load (LCL) fast. However, if there is any difficulty in cargo clearance, the customers may contact duty officers of the SLPA. The duty officer at Peliyagoda Logistics Center can be contacted on 071 8531859 and the duty officer in the Logistics Division at Port of Colombo can be contacted on 071 8688361.

Meanwhile, the SLPA with the support of SAGT and CICT have established an operations room to make the Port operations and services more efficient and reliable around the clock. If our customers have any queries regarding the port services and terminal operations, they can contact the SLPA duty officer at the Operations Room on 0112 320405 or 071 6889452.