Industry slams flawed policymaking jeopardises trade and port competitiveness

Thursday, 10 July 2025 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Aramex Country Manager Sanjay Samarasinghe says politicians lack technical expertise and rely on rich advisers
Claims decisions dominated by big business interests, not fair trade
Says ports risk losing traffic to India’s SagarMala project, with Colombo Port throughput down 30% in just five months
Warns on higher shipping costs for exporters
Notes Sri Lankans helped build global ports like Singapore and Jebel Ali Port, but failed to fix their own

Aramex Country Manager Sanjay Samarasinghe

Industry stakeholders yesterday raised concerns over what they describe as a flawed and politically influenced policymaking process that fails to serve the interests of fair trade and efficient logistics.

Speaking to the media, Aramex Country Manager Sanjay Samarasinghe criticised the fragmented policymaking process, where decisions are often left to political appointees with little technical knowledge and powerful business lobbies with vested interests.

“The deeper issue is that most Governments lack technical expertise. Politicians, often with no professional background, get elected and then ask the private sector to advise. These private sector advisers who get to sit in the Government committees come from the 20 richest families.They don’t really understand how processes work on the ground. They think only about enriching themselves—not how to fix the trade and logistics systems,” he said.

He opined that this was one of the main reasons why competent industry leaders and professionals never get the opportunity to advise on infrastructure and systems.

“Despite lacking expertise in systems and processes, the affluent who run the biggest companies tend to dominate policy decisions,” he claimed.

“No one listens to those of us on the ground, who are working every day to keep the wheels moving fairly. Instead, the Governments also listen to extremely rich advisers because if they don’t, they fear losing support for the next election,” he said.

Samarasinghe disclosed that this is the tragic cycle most of the genuine businesses are stuck in, and that there is still no proper process to break it.

He also warned that Sri Lanka’s ports and trade infrastructure risk being sidelined with India’s SagarMala project.

“I’ve been warning about this for five years, but no one cared to listen and understand the impact. Sri Lanka’s port throughput has already dropped by 30% in just five months. Soon, large ships will stop calling directly at Sri Lankan ports, shifting feeder vessels that connect to India,” he pointed out.

Samarasinghe said this will triple shipping cost for Sri Lankan exporters, urging authorities to modernise Customs processes, port facilities, and listen to ground-level logistics experts ratherthan political donors.

“Trade is the gateway to boost economic growth. If our trade systems are chaotic – if there are no clear, accessible processes – then our entire logistics sector collapses,” he cautioned.

He also noted that Sri Lankans helped build global ports like Singapore and Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but failed to fix their own.

“Our port infrastructure serves rich businesses from other countries, not Sri Lankan exporters and importers,” he charged.

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