In a bid to expand the Trincomalee Port the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) will invest to build a warehouse, administrative building and add several other infrastructures to it, Minister of Ports and Shipping Nimal Siripala De Silva said.
He said in addition the jetty would be deeper and will initiate programs to attract cruise and passenger vessels to the harbor as well.
He said that the Trincomalee Port has made profits in the recent past which would be ploughed in to invest to add these infrastructures. “Trinco Ports do not have outstanding loans and since Trinco is a profitable harbour we will not borrow in the future as well to add these facilities.”
He was speaking at the event in Trincomalee Port on Friday where Japan granted one million yen to install night vision to the Port making it a 24-hour operation.
The Minister recalled that he was the subject Minister for several ministers such as health and transport and in each of them Japan has provided grants which have helped Sri Lanka to a great extent. “These include Blood Bank in Colombo Anuradhapura, Jayawardanapura hospital. Jaya Container terminal and several other ventures as well.”
Installing night navigation will increase the ports’ activities round the clock and in turn help to earn more profits. “Some of the profits can go towards job creation and providing economic benefits to the eastern region.”
Outlining further plans he said that they want to convert Trinco port from a cargo based cargo handling port to a venue that supplies several other services such as passenger transport and transshipment as well. “We are also looking at bunkering.”
He said plans are now underway to clear the waterfront area of the Port to use it for ports related development and for these residents would be relocated and suitable compensation and alternative land found for them.
Several value added joint ventures for processing ilmenite too would be launched to the tune of USD 36 million soon. In addition, another venture will be launched soon with Lanka IOC to install an oil pipeline, De Silva said.
Japanese ambassador to Sri Lanka, MIZUKOSHI Hideaki recalled that the original grant to install night vision to Trincomalee was initiated by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, and apologized for the delay in implementing it.
Chairman SLPA Keith D. Bernard said that along with the night vision a new vessel traffic monitoring system with 16 boyars too was launched with the assistance of the Japanese government.
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