The
Annual
General
Meeting
(AGM) of
the
Asian
Shippers
Council
(ASC)
will be
hosted
in Sri
Lanka,
for the
first
time, in
August
2009.
The Sri
Lanka
Shippers
Council
has made
its
efforts
to host
the
conference
after 15
years of
lobbying,
as a
consequence
of the
end of
the
ethnic
war,
said the
convenor
of the
Sri
Lanka
Shippers
Council,
Rohan
Masakorala.
He said
that the
Annual
General
Meeting
provides
an
opportunity
to
promote
the
country
as a
maritime
and
logistics
hub.
"This
achievement
is a
great
success
for Sri
Lanka as
Colombo
was
always
rejected
as a
venue
due to
security
considerations.”
he said.
Mr.Masakorala
went on
to say
that the
AGM of
ASC in
Colombo
is
significant
not only
for
shippers
but for
every
service
sector
in the
country,
including
port
and
investment
authorities,
and the
Tourism
Promotion
Bureau.
A
convenor
from
each
region
will be
represented
in the
council
roundtable.The
meeting
is
expected
discuss
policy
issues,
maritime
security,
shipping
costs
such as
terminal
handling
charges,
as well
as the
global
economic
crisis
and new
marketing
and
business
opportunities.
The
Asian
Shippers’
Council
is the
single
largest
body of
the
Global
Shippers’
Forum (GSF),
which
represents
exporters,
importers
and
service
providers
in the
logistics
and
trade
businesses
around
the
world.
The GSF
event
will be
held in
September
in
London
after
the
Colombo
meeting.
The
Asian
Shippers
Council
covers 5
geographical
regions
including
China,
the
Indian
Sub-Continent,
North
East
Asia,
Oceania
and
South
East
Asia. It
also
consists
of 20
shippers’
councils
from 16
countries
in the
Asian
region.
The ASC
is led
by a
Chairman
and
supported
by a
permanent
Secretariat
based in
Singapore.
(DM14072009)