The Hon. Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku - Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, today I will make a historical reference. Have you seen Ptolemy’s first world map? Did you see how Sri Lanka appears on it? It is not marked “Sri Lanka” but as “Neprosina.” Relatively, Sri Lanka is large on that map—even slightly larger than India. How is that? Ptolemy drew this based on information from travellers and explorers. What did they report? That Sri Lanka was seen as a prosperous, significant nation that knew international trade well, had effective communications, a strong foreign policy and professional diplomats, located at a strategic point. In the 2nd century, they did not see us as a small island in the Indian Ocean.

¶ 02 And now, here we are as a nation which has missed centuries, not decades.

¶ 03 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation is now the gateway to a modern Sri Lanka, connecting us to the world. We are in the list of the best-connected countries and we will lead in bringing back our country to its old glory. Our ports, both seaports and airports, can play a significant role in our journey towards a new era of renaissance, achieving economic prosperity while uplifting the living standards of all Sri Lankans.

¶ 04 On seaports: the Port of Colombo ranks 25th by business volume, handling 7.5 million TEUs. However, due to its strategic location and business potential, it is the 13th best-connected seaport. To unlock rapid growth, we are focusing on full operational capacity with the West and East Container Terminals. The West Container Terminal will handle 2.5 million TEUs and the East Container Terminal 3 million TEUs. By the end of 2026, Colombo’s total handling capacity will be around 14 million TEUs. We do have an issue regarding straddle carriers for ECT, but not all equipment. We will use prime mover trucks, and as the Hon. Minister mentioned, we will operate at 50 per cent efficiency initially. That addresses the question raised.

¶ 05 At present, we face a marketing bottleneck due to capacity constraints and congestion. With increasing volumes, strategic marketing will allow us to gain a better regional market share. This year, we are calling for EoIs to build West Container Terminal 2 with a 3 million TEU capacity. Feasibility is complete and funds are allocated for detailed drawings in 2025. Colombo North Port will consist of three container terminals with a total of 10 million TEUs. Altogether, Colombo’s capacity would reach 30 million TEUs by end-2035. For comparison, Singapore, the world’s second-largest port, currently handles 35 million TEUs and targets 65 million by 2035, adding 30 million TEUs from global and regional markets. We target an increase of 22 million TEUs. If they can grow by 30 million, why can we not target 22 million?

¶ 06 To achieve that, we must increase port volume—marketing follows capacity. Our target is 2035, and we are on the move. We humbly request your support to work together on this journey.

¶ 07 Shipping calls require more than cargo operations; we must facilitate auxiliary services with heavy infrastructure—traditionally, bunkering and logistics. Transport does not run without fuel. Sri Lanka’s storage capacity is currently low. This year, we plan to join CPC with the JCT Oil Bank to enhance storage, and last-mile operations will be via a joint venture between the private sector and Ceylon Shipping Corporation.

¶ 08 On logistics centres: we will start an ADB-funded feasibility study this year for a multimodal logistics centre at Bloemendhal, integrated with rail—most significantly, an inland dry port. We recently experienced port congestion; about 30 prime movers roam Colombo daily. To reduce congestion, we must remove prime movers from city traffic—hence, the dry port.