Port Draw

Apr 27, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's ports will be positioned as logistics hubs to help attract foreign investors for export-oriented industries to generate the cargo volumes needed to continue to lure big shipping lines, an official said.





Sri Lanka Ports Authority chairman Priyath Wickrama said ports will provide warehousing and other services to offer 'just-in-time' supply systems to attract large manufacturing companies from India.

Today, major shipping lines call over at the Port of Colombo, primarily to transship containers to the Indian sub continent," Wickrama said.

"Almost 60 percent of Sri Lanka’s transshipment is bound for India.

Unless, Sri Lanka increases substantially its base cargo in the form of export products to the USA, Europe and Asia, Sri Lanka may not be in a position to lure main line vessels," he told the Southern Asia Ports, Logistics and Shipping 2012 Exhibition and Conference in Colombo.

"Attracting foreign direct investment for export-oriented industries is one model for generating base cargo.

"The volume of base cargo could also be increased by expanding Sri Lanka’s services in the form of value addition," Wickrama said.

"It could be offered by developing logistics capabiliti