Port shift not compulsory - SLPA Chief

By Dilina Kulathunga

The Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Dr Priyath Bandu Wicrema last week said that the recent directive to shift vessels carrying imported vehicles from Colombo Port to Hambantota with effect from May 31, 2012 is not mandatory and that the clearance at Colombo port would purely depend on space availability.

“Certainly it is up to the vehicle importers to decide between the two ports. But we have made ourselves very clear that we do not allow any vehicle to be parked inside container terminals which has been the practice. So, as long as they can clear their vehicles immediately upon unloading we do not oppose anyone to import vehicles through Colombo port,” the SLPA Chief said in an exclusive interview with The Nation.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority said in a statement last week the decision to unload motor vehicles imported to Sri Lanka at Hambantota Port remains unchanged despite ‘disparaging remarks by some parties’.

“SLPA would like to state that the ongoing process of handling ships carrying vehicles at Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port from May 31, 2012 will remain as decided,” the statement noted.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA), Tilak Gunasekera who in a complete change of stance to which he said a fortnight ago that member companies importing brand new vehicles would not consider importing from the new port, last week said that it will now be up to the individual companies to decide on which port they would use.

“I believe it is up to the individual companies to decide whether they are going to clear their shipments from Colombo or H’tota. But, since the used vehicle importers would shift to the new port we do not expect major crisis in space in Colombo. Sri Lanka Customs is also very efficient that the clearance could be done pretty fast”, Karunarathne added.

He further added that luxury vehicles such as Audi, Mercedezs, BMW, Jaguar and the likes are anyway shipped in containers so that they would anyway continue to be cleared from Colombo while the other cheaper car importers can decide between the two ports.

Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka in a press conference held a fortnight ago expressed positively for the SLPA’s decision to redirect the vessels carrying vehicles to H’tota from June 1, 2012.