The
Colombo
Port
expansion
project
will be
a boost
to the
Sri
Lanka's
shipping
industry
and is
the most
important
project
to
uplift
the
facilities.
It is
now
under
way and
making
good
progress,
Chairman
Ceylon
Association
of
Ships'
Agents
(CASA)
Nimal
Ranchigoda
told the
43rd
Annual
General
Meeting
of CASA
held in
Colombo
recently.
Under the
expansion
project the
reclaiming
of the
breakwater
and
contractor's
working area
approximately
9.08 million
cubic meters
have been
completed.
660 meters
of the
construction
of the rock
core of the
breakwater
has also
been
completed.
The tender
which was
closed in
mid July
attracted
only one
bidder
namely
Aitken
Spence Plc.,
and China
Merchant
Holdings
International
of Hong
Kong, he
said.
The
technical
proposal has
been
accepted,
evaluated
and conforms
to the
cabinet
negotiating
committee (CNC)
for
approval.
The
financial
bid was
opened in
end July, he
said.
On behalf of
the entire
membership
of CASA I
congratulate
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
for winning
the war
against
terrorism.
We also
congratulate
and express
our sincere
thanks to
the
Secretary,
Ministry of
Defence and
the 3
Service
Commanders
and all
those who
paid the
supreme
sacrifice
for our
motherland,
he said.
The CASA
membership
stands at
103 member
agencies
with a few
companies
having had
to resign
due to lack
of business
resulting
from this
economic
downturn.
Today the
shipping
lines are in
dire straits
financially
and are
looking at
all the
ports
worldwide to
reduce their
costs on a
temporary
measure to
help the
shipping
lines to
reduce their
losses, he
said. The
CASA
Executive
Committee
and a few
other senior
members of
CASA visited
the
Hambantota
Port
Development
project site
accompanied
by the
Chairman,
Sri Lanka
Ports
Authority
last month
and we were
very
impressed
with the
development
of this
project
since the
commencement
of phase one
on January
8, 2008.
The
presentation
made by the
Chairman,
Sri Lanka
Ports
Authority,
with Janaka
Kurukulasooriya-
Chief
Engineer
Southern
Port
Development
was very
informative.
