Colombo, Dec 26 (newsin.asia) – The Colombo Port reached new heights when it handled its six millionth TEU this month, making it a record for the South Asian port, local media reported Tuesday.
In 2016 Colombo’s volumes grew 10.6 percent to 5.734 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) helping it overtake Bremen/Bremerhaven (5.535 mn) in Germany and Tanjung Prion (5.515mn) in Indonesia, in a ranking of top 100 container ports by Lloyd’s List.
Subsequently, the Colombo Port has moved up two places to become the 25th busiest container port, next to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.
Ports Minister, Mahinda Samarasingha said that it was commendable to witness the Port of Colombo had achieved great feats through public private collaboration.
“Deviating from the traditional competition, Sri Lanka Ports Authority controlled Jaya Container Terminal, privately owned SAGT and CICT together have proven a success story that we can continue to make the Port of Colombo the hub port in the region,” the Minister said.
Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake said it was a historic milestone for the Sri Lanka Ports Authority as it was the collective efforts of the SLPA, the Jaya Container Terminal, South Asia Gateway Terminals and the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) in handling six million containers for a year in the Port of Colombo.
