Sri Lanka's Mattala Airport Starts Cargo Operations with First Shipment to Chennai, India

27th March 2013, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's second international airport in Mattala, has started cargo operations, with exporters offered a 10 percent discount, state-run SriLankan Airlines said.

The first 900 kilograms of cargo made up garment accessories left for Chennai.


SriLankan Airlines said cargo from Mattala will get a 10 percent discount and carriage to Colombo was 20 US cents a kilogram.

Mattala has a 5,000 square meter terminal.

The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport opened last week.

Sri Lanka's SLPA Presents Cargo Management & Billing System NAVIS

26th February 2012, www.sundayobserver.lk, By Jayampathy Jayasinghe

SLPA presented the cargo management system and cargo billing system at the consultative discussion on "Ports Shipping Procedures and Industry Issues" organised by the Ports and Shipping Committee of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) recently.

The new computer system 'NAVIS' is a tested and proven computer software solution in many large ports in the world. Navis is empowering the SLPA to automate its identified operations such as as cargo billing.

Chief Manager Core Banking Systems of Bank of Ceylon, Lakshman Perera presented the automated payment system implemented by the BOC connected with Asycuda World and NAVIS systems at Customs and SLPA.

He explained the e-payment facility through internet and BOC branches.

It was well attended, and represented by over 60 leading establishments from the shipping and freight forwarding industry who raised queries related to Customs inquiries on EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), H.S code definitions, demurrage to be paid on delays and many clarifications with regard to SLPA operations.

Director General of Customs,Dr. Neville Gunawardene assured a better service to clients whilst sorting out all operational and technical issues. It was also noted that with the implementation of the latest computer system "Asycuda World", many operational issues would be ironed out.

Image: Chairman Ports and Shipping Committee of NCCSL Sujeiva Samaraweera (centre) Director General of Customs, Dr. Neville
Gunawardene (left) and Director General of Customs, S J S Gunathunga at the meeting.

Hambantota Port to Handle car carriers & Break Bulk Cargo at 30pct Discount on all Items except Pilot Fees & Tug Charges

23rd July 2011, www.dailynews.lk, By Ravi Ladduwahetty

The Hambantota Port will now handle vessels carrying motor cars due to the berthing delays in the Colombo Port.

“The Hambantota Port is now capable of handling ships and at our last meeting with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority it was decided that if possible to divert the car carriers to Hambantota Port as they are subject to berthing delays at Colombo, Ceylon Association of Ships’ Agents Nimal Ranchigoda told the 45th CASA Annual General Meeting at the Hilton Colombo on Wednesday.”

“It was agreed that CASA members who handle car carriers discuss this aspect with their Principals, the Ceylon Motor Traders’ Association and if consensus is reached, then to go proceed with the berthing of car carriers at Hambantota,” he said.

He also said the SLPA Chairman has advised CASA that all geared vessels handling bags and break bulk bargo could be handled at Hambantota. He also confirmed that the current SLPA tariff will be applicable with a 30% discount on all items except the Professional Pilot Fees and the Tug Charges. Commenting on the Colombo Port, he said the port has experienced a total growth of 4% to date in 2011 when compared to 2010.

The CASA Chief also noted that shipping lines did recover financially in the second half of 2010 from the very serious financial and economic crisis they did encounter during the last quarter 2008, 2009 and the first quarter of 2010.

But however all shipping lines did end 2010 making profits. The start of 2011 due to a decline in world trade volumes and low freight rates made all shipping lines incur losses in the first quarter 2011 but they were nothing when compared to the losses suffered in the first quarter 2010.

He said that he referred about newspaper reports in his address last year saying that the shippers in the Asian Region have raised objections to some so called anti-competitive charges levied by shipping lines.

Subsequently in November 2010, President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Finance Minister made special reference in his budget proposals to Sri Lanka’s export industry which is said to be hampered by anti competitive practices of shipping lines and as a result that Sri Lankan exporters were subject to various charges imposed by the shipping lines.

He also stated that these charges resulted in a serious drain of foreign exchange and tax evasions.

The CASA executive committed having very carefully studied the position conveyed by the budget proposal have officially conveyed CASA response to the relevant authorities.

The CASA position is that there was no drain of any foreign exchange nor any tax evasions whatsoever. The charges levied by shipping lines in respect of imports are universally applied in all countries these shipping lines serve.

“While some charges are a cost recovery and others are applied as a deterrent, to ensure the trade comply with the documentation and other requirements of shipping lines therefore such charges are not peculiar to Sri Lanka,” he said.

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Sri Lanka Port Profit Go Up in 2010

21st April 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), which runs the island's ports, increased revenue and operating profit in 2010 on the back of the global economic recovery which generated double-digit growth in cargo flows.

The SLPA's operating profit increased by 126 percent to 4.4 billion rupees in 2010 from the previous year while revenue rose by 21.2 percent to 28.3 billion rupees, according to the central bank.

The SLPA's operating expenditure increased by 11.7 percent to 23.9 billion rupees over the same period.

"The capital expenditure incurred by the SLPA during the year increased to 6.1 billion rupees compared to 3.8 billion rupees in 2009," the bank's annual report said.

"With the gradual recovery in international trade, the performance of port operations increased significantly in 2010."

Container cargo flows at Colombo port rose 19.4 percent to hit a new record of 4.1 million containers last year "supported by steadfast growth in both import-export and transhipment cargo," the bank said.

The number of containers handled in 2010 was also 10.8 percent higher than the total of 3.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units) handled in 2008, the highest-ever performance before the global recession.

Transhipment cargo handling increased by 18 percent in 2010 from the previous year, while the total cargo handled at the port of Colombo increased by 26.7 percent.

Related Info :

• Colombo Port Containers Handling Grows by 11.78pct Year-on-Year. SLPA Handles a Record 205,539 TEU in January 2011

• Sri Lanka Colombo Port to Double Bunker Storage to Supply Increasing Number of Ship Fuel Suppliers

• SLPA to Sell Land Reclaimed from Sea off Colombo Galle Face Green. Investors to be Identified for $350mn Cost of Reclaiming 340 Acres

Sri Lanka Custom's ASYCUDA Automated Cargo Clearance System Leads to Paperless Clearing from January 1st

20th December 2009, www.dailynews.lk, By Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka Customs has gradually upgraded the IT based clearing system with the introduction of the ASYCUDA automated cargo clearance system.

This will lead to a paperless clearing system.

It will automate manifest and payment systems to facilitate all imports and exports from January 1, 2010, Customs Director-General, Sarath Jayathilake told Daily News Business.

The process will initiate a new beginning in automation of Customs functions with plans to become 100 percent electronic next year. All other documentation will be automated during this period, he said. The process would enable exporters and importers to operate from their offices and to track down the entry process to ascertain the stage - held up or being processed.

The system will ensure efficiency and it will be time saving for the benefit of the end user, he said. The most important features of these developments were based on the priorities of the cargo clearance and accounting system.

"We have now come to a stage that the total package of Customs imports and exports clearance including the various controls and facilitation action could be perform through one system effectively and timely manner, Jayathilake said.

The implementation of ASYCUDA World application provides door-to-door facility through Information Technology and could be used for accurate cargo accounting with high level of revenue collection and also a solution for maintaining high level of integrity.

Image: Customs Director-General, Sarath Jayathilake