CICT promotes Port of Colombo at elite maritime forum in Hong Kong
The role of the Port of Colombo in facilitating imports and exports and supporting trade with India and other subcontinent countries was expounded upon by Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) in a recent presentation to the 2017 Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference (ALMC).
The presentation was made by Tissa Wickramasinghe, Chief Business Development Officer of CICT, during a panel discussion of the conference, which was part of the Hong Kong Maritime Week programme.
Mr. Wickramasinghe’s presentation, according to a CICT media release, explored aspects of the port value chain and the importance of the Port of Colombo to its stakeholders including clients, other users, the industry, and to the entire South Asian region.
At the panel discussion, CICT identified the port as a transshipment hub located strategically in the Indian Subcontinent (ISC), East Africa and Middle East regions serving specific markets and supply chains. Mr Wickramasinghe’s presentation drew similarities between the role played by Sri Lanka to the Indian Subcontinent and the role played by Hong Kong to China.
He also stressed on the importance of establishing green supply chains for the South Asian region and how the port and CICT contribute to this goal.
Known as Asia’s largest conference for logistics and maritime services users and providers, the ALMC forum hosted more than 2,000 industry elites and eminent speakers from over 30 countries and regions this year.
The conference focused on three timely topics including China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, e-commerce, and big data. Four distinctive forums to examine subjects on logistics, supply chain management, maritime, and air freight were part of the agenda.
The keynote speakers at the forum were Ms. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China; Ms Margaret Fong, Executive Director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council; and Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Minister of Transport, Thailand.
Other panelists included Sunny Ho, JP, FCILT, the Executive Director of Hong Kong Shippers’ Council; Daniele Testi, Marketing & Corporate Communication Director at Contship Italia Group; Carman Leung, General Manager of Commercial Department of Hutchison Ports, Yantian; Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Port Holdings Limited; Alan Murphy, CEO and Partner of SeaIntel Maritime Analysis; Jeremy Nixon, CEO of Ocean Network Express; and Peter Sand, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.
CICT, which commenced operations in July 2013, manages the Colombo South Terminal of the Port of Colombo, the first and currently the only deep water terminal in South Asia equipped with facilities to handle the largest vessels afloat. The commencement of CICT’s operations is widely credited as the factor in the Port of Colombo achieving double digit growth in 2014 after a lapse of over 10 years.