Lankan delegation visits Dover Port Marina in the UK
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, Rohitha Bogollagama, and Chairman of the CPCEC and the BOI, Dinesh Weerakkody, together with Minister (Commercial) senior High Commission staff, and private sector representatives of Sri Lanka, paid a visit to Dover Port Marina in the UK on May 31, 2024 to explore investment opportunities to Sri Lanka.
Doug Bannister, Chief Executive of the Port of Dover, led a guided tour of the Dover Port Marina facility, coordinated by British-Sri Lankan entrepreneur and President of Marina Hotel Dover, UK K. Rajaseelan.
The Port of Dover opened in 2021boasts facilities for ferries, handling cruises and cargo, and the Dover Marina. The visit focused on investment promotion for both the Colombo Port City and marina development projects in Sri Lanka. Discussions centered on seeking technical cooperation and potential investment collaborations in marina development between Sri Lanka and the Port of Dover, the world’s largest passenger port, which handles 50,000 daily passengers and over 10 million annual passengers, contributing £140 billion annually to the UK’s GDP.
Discussions also focused on the development of Sri Lanka’s port cities and marinas in Galle Port, Trincomalee, and Talaimannar, which resemble Dover Port. “There is significant potential for ferry and yacht marina development in Sri Lanka in collaboration with Dover Marina. This will facilitate close connectivity between Sri Lanka, India, and the Indian subcontinent,” opined High Commissioner Bogollagama.
Following the Dover Marina visit, High Commissioner Bogollagama and Weerakkody visited Dover Marina Hotel in the UK, owned by K. Rajaseelan and discussions with Rajaseelan and his business partners focused on UK investment collaborations in marina development in Sri Lanka as well as the hotel sector in general. Rajaseelan has already committed to several investment projects in Sri Lanka, supported by the Sri Lanka High Commission in London.
SLPA to provide Rs. 10 Bn to increase efficiency and development of JCT
All the necessary development works to increase the operational capacity of JCT, the oldest container terminal at the Port of Colombo, are currently being completed and scheduled to be officially opened by the end of June this year.
In order to observe the on-going development activities, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva, made an inspection visit at the terminal yesterday. In addition to the 14 gantry cranes currently in operation, the new development work at the terminal include installing three new 45-meter high gantry cranes, lengthening the 1,280 -meter anchorage by increasing 120 meters, expanding the container yard by 13 acres, etc. SLPA has invested capital of Rs 10 billion for these development activities.
After the completion of these development work, it will be possible to berth two large container vessels at the same time and increase the efficiency of TUEs handling, Sri Lanka Ports Authority says.
SriLankan Cargo reinvents Service Delivery with strong customer focus
SriLankan Cargo, the air cargo division of SriLankan Airlines, recently unveiled its reinvented service delivery framework and website, with a strong focus on customer experience.
The new service model of SriLankan Cargo classifies service delivery under Freshness Class, Wellness Class, Precious Class and Guardian Class to ensure consistent and premium care for customers and their consignments. It also includes a 24/7 service hotline and a redesigned website for a better user experience.
“We are excited to present our latest innovation – product verticals – that is the culmination of our collective focus, dedication and creativity in the pursuit of excellence in airfreight services.