Galhena responds to Premachandra of SLPA on East Container Terminal bid

By Ravindra Galhena

Reference is made to the article entitled: ‘SLPA’s Response to Galhena’s response’ of 8 August. I am glad to note that Premachandra has now woken up and seen some of the real issues I have raised through my article entitled: ‘Will East Container Terminal bid go in the right direction for the country?’ of 29 July, after seeing my first reply of 5 August.  

My responses and clarifications to Premachandra are as follows:

I regret that, unlike in your case, the SLPA does not pay for my hard copies, so I was perforce compelled to read the internet version, which unfortunately did not carry the name of the writer, (I wonder if the Editor had a reason for this or if it was a genuine oversight), and returning to the thread, why this Editor Sir, did not either delete my logically incorrect paragraph, or edit it, as he is supposed to do, I am genuinely concerned about.  

Also, I wanted to close this subject with my last reply, due to the fact that, unlike you Premachandra, I am not getting a salary and perks from SLPA for my time. So, I should not be spending too much time on these, personally not-so-productive endeavours, should I? However, I still believe that I have a responsibility towards my country to disclose the facts. Also, the content of your write-up warrants a fitting reply. I am glad that I have got the biggest self-proclaimed port professional of SLPA (and of our times), who has now kept the young professionals high and dry by coming back to SLPA for a second and final inning in his old age (you are well beyond the SLPA age cut-off!), to reply my article. 

Of course, I am gracious enough to grant the fact that your second incumbency to this ‘mighty’ post must have been granted and approved by someone higher up the ladder, who still believes in fairy tales, so you are not totally culpable.

My dear Premachandra, you portray yourself as a mammoth port professional. But the industry knows that you could not go beyond the rank of ‘Manager’ with your last employer for 15 years and that was the very reason for you to leave (if you have left fully!). I presume that you would recollect our meet up in Mumbai in 2008 when I was with ‘Containerisation International’. That time even your boss was not authorised to give an interview on behalf of the company. 

It might be of interest to know what professional qualifications you have obtained in the port industry to become the ‘greatest port professional’ the world has ever produced?’

Yes, you are right; I have not worked in a port/terminal nor was I engaged in any commercial shipping for a long time. Of course, I came from the rank and file, but I am proud to state that I started my career as a clerk. 

Premachandra, you may know Dr. Brian Thomas who was one of the greatest Port Consultants the world has ever produced. He taught me two port related subjects at Cardiff University. Dr. Thomas had carried out consultancies for over 100 countries including Sri Lanka, but he has not worked in ports like you did. So, he too probably does not meet your standards. For your information, all freelance consultants are self-appointed, not appointed by any institution.

My upbringing does not allow me to blow my own trumpet. Boasting is demeaning and unbecoming of oneself, isn’t it? A few people in this world have known me. Premachandra, you might like to ask some people, who have known me (if you do not know me!), whether I am qualified to write about the port industry or not. However, I would like to cite the fact that you requested data and facts from me for the presentation that you were preparing for the Colombo International Maritime Conference held last year. I now begin to wonder why a great port professional of your calibre asked someone, who has never worked in a port or gained the knowledge about the industry, in your opinion, for a favour of this nature! If any reader is interested to see the email trail, I am just an email away.   

Selling toys or games is not something prohibited or illegal? It is better than people like you playing games with the public on their account, isn’t it?

Here, I am not going to ponder upon the issues that I have already dealt with; I leave it to the readers to understand matters in the right context, with the exception of (7) and (8) below. I hope the readers have the ability to read between the lines in the right context, unlike Premachandra. 

Premachandra, when it comes to writing, the information given in parentheses is additional data/facts that could be required for people to understand the content better. That is the reason I gave the quay length of PSA-controlled terminals, please do not try to mislead readers. You were discussing the requirement of feeder berth there and I wanted to highlight the fact that the control/dynamics would be totally different at PSA compared to SLPA. For your information, a 60%+ of the Colombo’s throughput is handled at SAGT and CICT now. Please do not try to hoodwink people further. 

In your first response, you mentioned that JCT was on par with SAGT (and world class!). But, in this response you say that the JCT’s leaner quay length is shorter compared to the SAGT. Yes, it is not a fault of the professionals, but the JCT just cannot be listed in the world class page! 

Premachandra, you even cannot maintain your own argument, forget managing ports! You contradict yourself, and now accept that JCT cannot be compared with SAGT! This is why I excluded your beloved JCT, where you were showing all the arrogance and your importance when you were the manager there, from the world class list at the very first instance! Times have changed my dear Prem. 

The meaning of words should be taken in the context and on a relative basis. This is the basis for writing. For your information Premachandra, ‘relay’ transhipment takes place between two mainline vessels most of the time - more often than not between the ships that ply on the east/west and north/south routes. Of course the ships that ply on the north/south trade could be relatively smaller for obvious reasons. In the industry they are not called ‘feeders’ (nobody will stop you calling them feeders if you want to though). 

I believe you have already spent eight months at SLPA in your second coming now (this is appropriate in religious sense too as your appointment was made considering you as a saviour for SLPA!). I would like to know how many ‘relay’ transhipment boxes you have brought to JCT in this period. If you have, do you mean to say that the JCT is now attracting ‘relay’ transhipment as well, but the throughput is still plummeting as SLPA-controlled terminals are no good in intra-port competition? 

The ports/terminals should focus on the future. Please note that 80% of the ships that ply on the east/west route would be VLCCs and MLCCs by 2020. Did you know this? Therefore, Premachandra, whether you like it or not, the JCT as it is, would be obsolete for those giants. 

Thank you Premachandra for explaining the ADB’s involvement which should have been done in the first reply. But, as the readers know, you were too busy launching a personal attack on me to cover up your sins to actually concentrate on giving a proper reply! 

I quote from your response: ‘The original Expression of Interest (EoI) had some clauses that were ambiguous and the bidders during the time given for clarifications and at the pre-bid meeting indicated their views on them’. So Premachandra, you mean, despite your education, all your 40-year great experience in the port sector – PPP…, your great wisdom, intelligence and what not, you could not do a good job first time? And you did not have a clue about the right time scales required? – very pathetic state of affairs, isn’t it?  

Sri Lanka is an open economy and the competition is encouraged in all industries. The Port industry is no exception. SLPA-controlled container terminals also must compete in a level playing field and secure their market share. Despite the SAGT, one time, SLPA-managed facilities were serving some leading shipping lines exclusively. Premachandra, in today’s context, everything is survival of the fittest! 

O tempora o mores! 

Premachandra, knowing where you came from, the brand new clause in the bid, which makes a compulsion on all the consortia to have a shipping line partner on board, is really interesting! 

Now, with the light I have shed, the public can clearly see where the real alligators with the capability of even gobbling down VLCCs and MLCCs do exist!

Thank you!