Category: Shipping and Transport

March 14, 2008 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank and Sri Lanka are holding talks to modify an agreement to avoid further delays in starting work on a bank-funded breakwater for a new port, a senior ADB official said. “The breakwater contract is time critical in that if it is not awarded soon the project […]

Mar 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hemas group wants to expand into ships and port operations after its entry to the sector by starting a shipping agency and capitalize on the island’s position on major sea lanes, an official said. . “The group as a policy has decided to invest in the maritime sector,” […]

March 11, 2008 (LBO) – A unit of Hemas conglomerate has got the Sri Lankan agency for Far Shipping Lines of Singapore which is looking at deploying bigger ships and increase services to Colombo port, an official said. Far Shipping Lines (FLS) currently operates four feeder services connecting the Indian sub-continent and Arabian Gulf with […]

MANILA, March 10, 2008 (AFP) – The Asian Development Bank said Monday it would double its loan commitment for a major highway project in Sri Lanka to 140 million dollars. A 90 million-dollar loan approved in 1999 would be supplemented by a second loan to ensure the completion of the Colombo-Matara-Galle highway and widen it […]

March 06, 2008 (LBO) – Container transporters in Sri Lanka Thursday announced plans for a protest action and work stoppage that could disrupt the flow of cargo to and from Colombo port. The Joint Council of Transporters (JCT) said in a statement their members would commence a protest combined with work stoppage from March 10 […]

Mar 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation plans to tie up with global ship supply firm GAC Ships to supply bunkers or ship fuel, officials said. The move is expected to bring down bunker prices in Colombo port, now among the highest in the world, as well as improve availability. The […]

Feb 29, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will call fresh bids for a planned new container terminal in Colombo and is going ahead with a contract to build its breakwater, a senior port official said. The other major port operator which did not bid was Dubai Ports World, which is making huge investments in ports […]

Feb 28, 2008 (LBO) – Access routes and the road network in Sri Lanka’s central hill city of Kandy will get a billion rupee spruce-up ahead of a regional meeting of heads of state scheduled for next year, a senior minister said. The government was planning to rehabilitate the main access road from Colombo, and […]

Feb 28, 2008 (LBO) – A joint venture between Sri Lanka’s International Construction Consortium (ICC) and China Harbour has a won 2.4 billion rupee deal to build section of the highway leading to a northeast of the island, a senior minister said. The contract floated by Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority is funded by an […]

Feb 24, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lanka will cancel a controversial deal for a container terminal at Colombo port and bring new conditions after a consortium led by the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) won a financial bid, a media report said. The deal hit newspaper headlines with port workers alleging that state-run Sri Lanka […]

Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has further raised taxes on cars to discourage imports and save foreign exchange, officials said Monday, pushing first-time buyers out of the market as economic woes worsen on the island.The new tax, which adds 10-percent import duty on cars and vans, is to be rubber-stamped by parliament this […]

Feb 10, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is pushing to award a container terminal concession in Colombo to Hutchison Port Holdings despite a technical committee nod for rival Port of Singapore Authority, a news report said Sunday. “The SLPA is determined to award the Colombo South Port Development Project to Hutchison […]