Japan-India-Sri Lanka trilateral consortium is likely to begin Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal by March 2020 with the aim of increasing the port’s container volume and enhance marine transportation in and around South Asia.
Although India and Japan stepped in to develop Colombo East Container Terminal, the commencement of operations has been delayed due to objections raised by outgoing President Maithripala Sirisena for reasons best known to him, official sources said.
Out of the working Terminals for direction of containers at present at the Colombo Harbour is only the Terminal Colombo International Container Terminal.
The ships Draft more than 14.25 meters will be able to come only its capacity is Twenty Equivalent Units 2.4 million for a year.
308 ships had arrived at this Terminal which were over 14.25 meters. Draft during the year 2018 and it had been directed containers more than totaling 2.6 million units.
Therefore, there had been an increase of 12 per cent direction of containers in this Terminal as compared to the year 2017.
Attention had not been paid for the container services of the Colombo Harbour which could have been taken place at the East Container Terminal to meet the demand, officials said.
However,a local bank has provided Rs.11,168 million for the Colombo Harbour Expansion Project with the construction of draft 18 meters and length of 440 meters of the terminal.
The construction activities of the East Container Terminal had been completed in the month of April 2016 but it is still to begin container handling operations.
but for the direction of the shipment necessary equipments including Grants Cranes obtained by and to initiate the operational activities of this Terminal action had not been taken by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority even as at the date of 30 April 2019
(LI)