Sri Lanka should not be scared to take the lead whereever it made sense in the light of major shipping lines expressing their very keen desire to do business in Colombo port, a top official of the Sri Lankan container terminal of Colombo port said.

We must dream high and work towards making those dreams a reality: General Manager Operations of the SAGT terminal of Colombo port

In an interview to a influential Colombo based daily he said  I am of the view that as a country, we should not be scared to take the lead wherever it makes sense. Don’t wait till others to act and reap benefits before us. We must dream high and work towards making those dreams a reality. We have done it before. We can do it again”, Upul Jinadasa, General Manager Operations of the SAGT terminal of colombo port said in a wide ranging interview.

At present we are observing a boom in global container shipping industry. Major shipping lines are very keen in doing business with the Colombo Port. We must act wisely and make strategic, factual decisions fast to create Port capacity, enhance related services and position ourselves as the finest Hub Port in the region.

Growth achieved through right partnerships will help us

Sri Lanka needs to establish partnerships with most suitable and strategic global entities for mutual benefit. Growth achieved through right partnerships will help us outperform regional port competition, create more value additions to the local trade and employment opportunities for our youth”.

His statement assumes significance in the light of the Sri Lankan government weighing its options on handing over the prestigious Colombo Port's east terminal to an Indian entity for purposes of operation of the terminal

“The Covid pandemic has forced us to revise current practices to avoid physical contact. This helped us maximize efficiencies while realizing our potential in some key areas in the Port. As a result, some activities, which we tried hard over many years before, was digitalized overnight. Digitalization is expected to thrive and will create many opportunities for our youth. Why not capitalize on it and transform our country to a much smarter place for doing business?”

Our economy is very badly affected

Our economy is very badly affected. Only few sectors have been able to minimize the impact. Port is one of those sectors, which performed relatively well, despite facing many unprecedented challenges, he remarked.