Development Of Port Services In Sri Lanka Tourism Essay

1. In the world today, all countries are inter connected in more than many ways. of all these connections, transport service are considered to be the most important and unavoidable connection. this transport service may be either human or cargo transport. Today to day there are many ways and methods of transport. Although most of these modern systems are quick and easy .the most ancient sea transport system is still the reliable and the profitable way of transport. Sri Lanka is rich with strategically located natural ports that are === by many other nations. These ports have the potential to be the best ports in the Indian ocean. they should be developed to an international expected standard with modern facilities and features. before embarking on the development of these ports , an in depth study of a few internationally famous ports should be made. If handle methodically and properly, Sri Lanka ports could be the best in South Asia and also be the province economic recourse of the country.

This paper is an attempt to analyze and consider the measures that have to be adopted by the authorities in order to develop national ports to maintain highly efficient and productive ports as transshipment centers with adequate capacity equipped with most modern technology and facilities. At present several measures have been taken towards this goal, there is more that could be done to obtain making use of the existing resources.

AIM

3. The aim of this service paper is to propose and suggest ways and means of developing Sir Lanka as the leading maritime and aviation center in the South Asian Region. that can complete with the most competitive and user friendly ports in providing high quality port, shipping and aviation service.

BACKGROUND

4. For thousands of years, the highly strategic location of the ports of Sri Lanka has lured many a merchant. This is a location that connects Middle East with the Far East, with links to the Australian and African continents and it is the gateway to South Asia. From the past up to date many ships that use the international sea communication route are using Sri Lankan port services due to various reasons such as easy access, quality of the service, cheap labor etc. Therefore Sri Lanka should take maximum advantage of seaports to promote international trade by getting commercial and industrial activities which directly assist the economic progress of the country. The other countries of the region are developping their ports to gain economic benefits out of this sea transportation system. To face this competitive market we need to gear our sources to get the necessary attraction of the world.

5. On the other hand, today Sri Lanka with its far-reaching economic changes and policies has improved infrastructural facilities, tax incentive, opportunities for investment of capital for new industries, and above all the guarantee of the safety of capital invested and presents a favorable environment for foreign investment capital. This transformation of the economy has resulted in the increased industrial and trading activities in Sri Lanka. So this present trade development has influenced the need of development in the port and shipping sector in the country.

6. Sri Lanka Port Authority has the responsibility with the mission to increase our customer base profitability by providing excellent an service and world class facilities.

PORTS AND ON GOING PORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

7. As an island Sri Lanka is privilege to have natural harbors all around the country. But the country was not able to use a few numbers of ports due to various reasons such as war, lack of infrastructure facilities, investment capacity etc. At present with the high economic growth and the end of the armed conflict in may 2009 provides a firm base for all development activities. Port services which were growing significantly in the year 2010.The present ports and development projects are as follows:

a. Port of Colombo. It is the main port in Sri Lanka. Located on the southeast side of the island and it is facilities include two terminals, Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and Queen Elizabeth Quay (QEQ).From 1987 to 1997 due to the commitment , it has done so many development to control the container traffic. For example in mid 1990’s it increased from less than 500,000 Twenty foot Equivalent Units (TUEs) over 1.5 million Twenty foot Equivalent Units. But it was not sufficient in 2003 and 2004 around 40% of west to east traffic was being diverted from Colombo port to more competitive ports out side Sri Lanka. Then Sri Lankan government’s desire to create public-private partnership in 1999 to improve expands, operate and manage Queen Elizabeth Quay (QEQ) with South Asia Gateway Terminals (private) limited. To day under mentioned projects are going on:

(1) Colombo South Harbour development Project. In ocean of about 1000 hectares on the South West of the percent breakwater this proposed harbour will be located. It will have four terminals , 1200 meters each capable of accommodating deeper draft vessels in the future. The development is expected to be done in two stages. The first stage to intfastructure with pulic funds and the second stage for terminal facilities with private sector participation. This project will promote the following Sri Lanka:

Facilitate economic growth.

Increase competitiveness in international trade.

Lower transport cost and faster delivering times.

Container handling capacity wills increase.

(2). Jaya Container Terminal for the Enhancement of Capacity. Detail design of the extension of the Jaya Container Terminal has been completed. this will enhance the capacity of port of Colombo to accommodate the mega container carriers now and in the future. This also expected to berth two 8000 Twenty foot Equivalent Units container ships at the same time.

(3). New Terminal Management System. This system will be implemented

with the Sri Lanka port Authority (SLPA). It will replace the present obsolete computer system of the Jaya Container Terminal with modern computer system providing Networking, Radio data and Communication System.

b. Galle port. The gall port is located very close to the international sea transport route. It is the very the only Sri Lankan port that provides for pleasure Yachts. All those facilities were destroyed by the Tsunami. It is proposed to develop this port to attract rich tourists and passenger carrier ships.

c. Trincomalee Harbour Renovation. Ten times as much as the Colombo, the

Trincomalee harbour is considered to be one of the most strategically situated natural harbour in the world. This harbour was tentatively considered to cater for bulk and break bulk cargo transportation. Coming under the new development project the ‘Nagenahira Nawodaya’ great improvement and vast development is expected to take effect in this famous port.

Development of the Hambanthota Port. Hambantota region is considered to be an under develop area both economically and socially. The construction of a sea port in that region will greatly enhance the improvement and the development of that area. the presence of a port in that area will certainly make it an industrial region. Unlike development an also functioning port, this newly constructed port can be streamlined to serve it expected goal. It has to be properly planned and executed. It is to be a commercial harbour will definitely of a more convenient and cost effective access to and from the Southeast region for goods and cargo from the West coast. It will also reduce the congestion in the Colombo harbour.

Development of Port in Oluvil. In the process of developing the Eastern Region under the Nagenahira Nawodaya’ programme it has been decided to build a port at Oluvil. If so constructed it will be the Southern link in the developing chain of coastal harbours. This harbour will be another commercial harbour and basin for fishing crafts.

Port of kankasanthurai and point pedro. This is one of the most Tsunami devastated ports in Sri Lanka. It needed urgent rehabilitation and improvement. This improvement includes the repair of the breakwaters, roads and pears. Wrecked and dredging have to be removed from the harbour basin. The Sri Lanka port Authority has carried out urgent and temporary repair to enable it to function without our interruption. The government of India has aided for the removal wracks and for the construction of a new pear. Very vital sections of the harbour are beyond use. The Sri Lanka port Authority while renovating the harbour, have decided to study the feasibility of developing Point Pedro in to a Sri Lanka port Authority regional port.

COOPERATIVE VALUES OF SRI LANKA PORT DEVELOPMENT AUTORITY

The SLPA is one of the major contributors to the economy of Sri lanka. As a key revenue earning and service providing agency, the role of SLPA is directly to the excellence of its delivery service. In this regard the value system of the authority is the basis for the success of its operational relationship with the stakeholders. These values could be categorized under the following.

Dependability

Timeliness & Accuracy

Accountability for Achievement

Team Spirit

Commitment

Reward & Recognition

Performance with integrity

It will be the responsibility of the chairman / chief Executive Officer, The managing Director and Other Senior management staff to inculcate the above values at all levels of the Authority.

Hambantota is planned to undertake initially general cargo such as cement, steel, fertilizer, timber, bunkering services, port related industries, coal, RO-RO facilities, off shore services such as ship Chandling, supply of water & fuel, crew changes, ship building and ship repair facilities etc.

Contract for the construction of phase 1 was awarded to Chinese Joint venture Construction Company at the total cost of US$ 360m and the port will be operational in year 2010

SERVICES RENDERED BY OUR PORTS TODAY

8. Sri Lanka has a number of commercial ports and a National Shipping Fleet to provide services for the Maritime Transport Industry. The governments also encourage and develop multi country consolidation and entrpot trade on a large scale.

a. Container Operations. Development of JCT and QEQ facilities enhance the productivity in container handling and off dock facilities such as inland container depots to ease the congestion within the ports.

b. Ancillary Services. Ancillary services including ship building, ship repair, ship chandelling, salvage and towage, bunkering services, ship chandelling and off shore supplies, cruise shipping marinas and ship management are available.

c. Tariff Concessions. Tariff concessions including lowest Transshipment rates in the region, restoring Transshipment rates irrespective of the mode, attractive rebates of up to 20% of the stevedorage, free storage (of 21 days) for transshipment etc.

d. multi country consolidations and enterpot cargo. A separate warehouse has been provided specially for this purpose at the port access road. Special tariff concessions have been given to this multi country consolidation operation that use warehouse within the port.

e. Information systems. Computerized systems for planning and control of container handling operations, data interchange between the shipping agents, inquiries available from the personal computers and port users and one stop documentation centre.

f. transportation systems. Coordinated port facilities with inland transport and distribution systems in terms of control the ship traffic.

g. infrastructure facilities. Connecting road, rail, and barge facilities.

I. Other services. Handling of dry and liquid cargo, bulk and break bulk cargo, car carriages and passenger liners.

J. port security. Sri Lanka ports authority complies with the relevant requirements of the international ship and port facility security code, contributing to the enhancement of maritime safety and security.

MANAGEMENT OF PORT DEVELOPMENT

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9. To gain the status of regional mega hub port in the south Asian region sri lanka will have to compete with Singapore, Port Kelang, dubai and Aden.in this attempt we will be forced to use all possible resources. Therefore following are the salient points which required when developing port service in Sri Lanka:

When developing ports according to the national plan. A comprehensive study should be need of each individual port. These should be combination of medium term and long term planning. While the existing ports are improved by the introduction of modern facilities. The recourses should be constructed according to the international standards.

Complete and viable is that which includes all necessary facilities such as transshipping, cargo shipping, fire fighting and rescue service and the like.

Planning of new ports should leave space in their for any future improvements. Any future development of existing ports should have the possibility of absorbing any new introduction.

The organizational structure of any new port should be flexible enough to adapt to business environment changes.

The planning section of management service department should be responsible for the following task:

Traffic trend and performance statistics.

Forecasting of future traffic shipping and cargo.

The evaluation of new trends in ships and cargo handling.

The analysis of requirements, water , load equipments and storage.

The preparations plan for the future.

Preparation of future traffic demands.

Forecasting of traffic is an art which need a lot of understanding and experience. This may require the assistance of out side agents, but yet these reports should be checked mathematically and tactically before implementation. In arriving at this dicisions they should have considered the following targets:

National economic targets.

Have past trends clearly explained and the need for continuation of these trends be questioned.

Have the port records being studied well.

Will the change of each industry have any effect of the future traffic?

The building of new ports.

SUMMARY

16. In the two years following the end of a brutal war, Sri Lanka’s economic growth is projected to exceed six percent, according to the World Bank’s first annual assessment of regional economies. The interim period requires improvements to existing facilities to bridge the gap between growing demand and shortfalls in facilities, so as to ensure that customers are not lost to competing rival ports.  Such losses would have disasters impact on the future of the Ports in Sri Lanka. So it is very vital to initiate actions for renew and expand existing ports in the aspect of Developing Sri Lankan ports as the leading Maritime and Aviation center in the South Asian Region with the most competitive and user friendly ports and airports to provide high quality ports, shipping and aviation services. But it should within the broad national strategy; the development of each individual port must be comprehensively planned. The development of a port consists of a combination of medium-term and long-term planning of new facilities plus-in the case of existing ports-a programme of short-term action to improve the management With New technologies, which can spur changes and will improve the operations. For example, the development of a container terminal can be accompanied by the introduction of modern data-processing methods to improve the quality of the information necessary for managers to control the flow of containers.

RECCOMANDATIONS

Developing Sri Lankan ports as the leading Maritime centers in the South Asian Region with the most competitive and user friendly ports, following policy decisions has to follow when projecting new ports or expansion of existing ports

To consolidate the position of the Colombo Port as an International hub port for container operations and as a logistics center in the South Asian region.

To develop a competitive marketing strategy in order to establish the port of Colombo as an International hub-port.

c. To develop the port of Galle as a regional port as well as an alternate commercial cargo handling port to the port of Colombo and to develop this port to attract rich tourists and passenger carrier ships.

To develop Trincomalee port as an ecologically sensitive, leisure and light commercial port.

To develop the port in Kankasanturai, Oluvil and point-pedro as regional commercial ports.

To build and establish the Hambantota port initially as a service providing industrial port, and in the long term develop it to be a commercial port for more convenient and cost effective access to and from the Southeast region for goods and cargo from the West coast. Then it will also reduce the congestion in the Colombo harbour.

To maintain a high level of productivity and service excellence by enhancing knowledge, skills and creativity and inculcating positive attitudes to all port employees, through systematic Human Resource Development programmers.

To develop a strategic development plan for all sea port of Sri lanka.