Category: Shipping and Transport

Shippers and exporters are pushing hard for legislation to resolve a long standing billing dispute with ship agents and owners.Shippers say the charge is being used by shipping lines to make profits, while making the countrys exports uncompetitive.rn rnThe Shippers Council has abandoned talks with ship agents to resolve a long running dispute to get […]

Exporters are calling the inclusion of a significant part of lquote on the ship expenses to the terminal handling charge (THC), technically a recovery of land based cost, as unfair and anticompetitive.A breakdown of the THC shows that upto US$ 81 of the US$ 148 levy for a 20 foot container was for discharging and […]

Port officials on Monday called on Danish firms to build the Oluvil Port, on the East coast of Sri Lanka.The Euro 28 million project will be funded entirely by The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).rn rnThe contract will see a 1.5 kilometre breakwater, the roads within the port, an ice plant and cold storage, a […]

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has signed up the Moratuwa University to study the demand for road transport services on inter-provincial routes.Commission in mid April, the Engineering faculty is due to complete the study before September 2003. rn rnNTC officials say they have stopped issuing new inter-provincial route permits since the beginning of the year […]

Pumping life in to its ailing gas conversion and filling business, United Motors will convert its three remaining filling stations into motor shops. rnrnMotor bikes, lubricants and auto care products will be among the new range of products that will be promoted along with gas filling services to prop up returns from each location. rn […]

Airport and Aviation Services (AASL), which runs the countrys airports and air navigation services, is planning to reduce the number of its employees.AASL is talking to the treasury about part funding for a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) to sharply cut the employee numbers in the lower grades.rn rnA committee is already at work looking into […]

The government is to re-tender for private investors to manage Sri Lankas Air traffic, after discussions with tech giant Lockheed Martin, fell through.The company had already made a preliminary bid last year, to manage Sri Lankas upper airspace, with negotiations on its way to a firm commitment.rn rnBut a top-level government policy decision pulled the […]

In an industry with annual billings of over Rs. 300 mn, TVS Lanka wants to drive out the market for fake motor vehicle spare parts.rnThe spare parts industry grows at an annual rate of 20 per cent, while fake parts sales account for an estimated 40 per cent of the market.rn rnIncreasing awareness and an […]

SriLankan Airlines Cargo Centre handled a record 12,078 metric tonnes or 12 mn kilos of freight in March 2003, the highest ever throughput in its history.The previous highest was in November 2000, where the Cargo Centre handled 12,024 metric tonnes. rn rnBased at the Bandaranaike International Airport, the Cargo Centre handles all import, export and […]

Tata Automobiles of India, which launched a large selection of its vehicles to the local market, has found ready buyers among the countrys parliamentarians and police force.The company, which has managed to sell a large number of its SUVs to parliamentarians under an Indian credit line has also got an order from the police force […]

Its back to the drawing board for the Colombo Katunayake highway project, facing its latest setback with the imminent pull out of only contender Road Builder Holdings.Last October, Malaysian owned Road Builder Holdings were sole contenders to complete, manage and operate the four lane, 25 km airport highway.rn rnThe biggest snag officials say has been […]

The Emirates Group has declared a 74 per cent increase in net profits to US$ 285.7 mn (Dhs1.05 bn) for the financial year ending March 31, 2003, driven by the growing confidence of its customers in the airline and travel-related group of companies.rnrnrnrnrnrnNew Page 2rnrnrnrnrn Emirates Airlines operations alone achieved a staggering 94 per cent […]