Category: Shipping and Transport

Feb 17, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s plans to become a logistics hub stand to gain from the shift in Asian manufacturing from China to countries like Vietnam that could yield more cargo for ports like Colombo, a logistics expert said. “Logistics is like an orchestra in which the container terminal operator plays a key […]

Feb 14, 2012 (LBO) – December 2011 quarter net profit at Sri Lankan auto importer and distributor Diesel and Motor Engineering Company (Dimo) fell 27 percent to 713 million rupees from a year ago as sales slowed. A stock exchange filing said Dimo’s sales fell 12 percent to 10. 6 billion rupees in the quarter […]

Feb 13, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s bus fares will be raised by 20 percent and striking buses will return to the streets from Tuesday, Gemunu Wijeratne, head of the Sri Lanka Private Bus Operators’ Association said. The new fares will be in effect for at least a year unless fuel prices are raised by […]

Feb 09, 2012 (LBO) – Shipping lines are coming together and concentrating their power to survive a downturn in trade that is causing losses but a recent freight rate hike might not last, Sri Lankan shippers have been told. In 2012, 253 vessels with a total capacity of 1. 4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container […]

Feb 07, 2012 (LBO) – Global ship agency and offshore marine service provider GAC has set up a supply base in Galle to support ship-to-ship (STS) services, a statement said. The new service complements existing services such as ship agency, bunker supplies and the ship supply service. GAC Sri Lanka uses a fleet of ten […]

Feb 02, 2012 (LBO) – A large number of vehicles breaking down on Sri Lanka’s first expressway may require motorists to get roadworthiness certificates to use the road, as traffic picked up steadily, an official said. From about 4,000 vehicles a day in December, usage has now increased to 7,200 by end January. Sri Lanka’s […]

Feb 02, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s southern expressway linking the capital Colombo with the south is to be extended to link the eastern port town of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka Ports Authority chairman Priyath Wickrama said. The move is part of a plan to improve the transport infrastructure to give manufacturers fast connectivity, he told […]

Jan 31, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Ports Authority plans to install bar code readers at Colombo port to speed up the movement of vehicles moving containers, a senior official said. Truckers have complained of lengthy waiting times of sometimes 6-8 hours to get in or out of the port. The existing gate pass system […]

Jan 27, 2012 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka Ports Authority wants to raise its stake in a new container terminal being built in Colombo and can use funds expected from the joint venture concession holder, an official said. The listed Aitken Spence group has said it was selling its entire 30 percent stake in the […]

Jan 26, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence group said it booked a gain of 630 million rupees by selling a 30 percent stake in a container terminal project to China Merchant Holdings International. Aitken Spence bid for the terminal project with China Merchants coming in as 55 percent partner, but it pulled out […]

Jan 26, 2012 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka Ports Authority is to start trials of an electronic cargo payment system at Colombo port in a tie-up with state-owned Bank of Ceylon next week, officials said. Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Priyath Wickrama said a lot of port activities were being converted to semi-automated systems […]

Jan 26, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will sign an agreement with Italy authorities allowing Sri Lankan certified seafarers to work on Italian flagged vessels, information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. A memorandum of understanding to be signed with the Italy’s maritime administration will recognize certificates of competency issued by Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s cabinet of […]