Hambantota Port Tender for Support Services

19th October 2009, www.island.lk, By Devan Daniel

Proposals are pouring in from the private sector about setting up support services at the Hambantota Port and officials said the SLPA would soon call for official tenders.

"We have received so many proposals from the business community about setting up support services at the Hambantota Port that we have decided to officially call for tenders in a few months time," a senior official of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)told the Island Financial Review.

Food, freshwater, transportation, hospitality and healthcare, apart from ship repairs and bunkering facilities, are some of the areas in which support services would be required and present opportunities for businesses to claim a stake in the development activities the port would generate.

However, regional businesses are concerned that they would be crowded out by ‘bigger’ companies from Colombo.

According to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority about US$ 120 million has already been spent on the Hambantota Port and the first phase of the construction is expected to be completed four months ahead of schedule by January 2011 at a cost of about US$ 360 million.

Hambantota Port (Harbour) on Google Maps