Ceyline Group Chairman Chief Guest at World Maritime Day celebration in Fiji

Wednesday, 7 November 2018 02:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ceyline Group Executive Chairman and CINEC Campus President Captain Ajith Peiris attended the World Maritime Day celebration in Fiji as the event’s Chief Guest, demonstrating the strong ties and mutual respect that exist between the maritime industries of the two nations.

The event, organised by the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF), was held at the Fiji Maritime Academy. Captain Peiris in his address to the gathering stated that the maritime world had changed and that developing countries such as Fiji and Sri Lanka should capitalise on this change to strengthen the economy of their countries. Captain Peiris stated that many ship-owning countries would look at manning their ships with personnel from developing countries, as the tendency to join ships was declining in developed nations.

“We have to take advantage of this opportunity by improving our training and development facilities to provide these ship-owners with skilled personnel.”

He added that crew management activities would contribute to the growth of a country’s economy by way of increased inflow of foreign exchange and improved levels of disposable income.

Captain Peiris had the honour of handing out special awards to industry personnel in recognition of their exceptional service to the Fiji maritime industry. In his closing remarks, he encouraged the decision-makers of Fiji to look at working closely with Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the maritime field and we are willing to assist fellow nations to continuously improve the industry and ensure sustainable growth,” he stated.

CINEC Campus, the leading maritime campus in Sri Lanka, has been managing the state-owned Fiji Maritime Academy since 2013.