The
Government will start fuel
bunkering at the Magampura
Mahinda Rajapaksa Port popularly
known as Hambantota Port in June
this year.
Ports
Development Deputy Minister
Rohitha Abeygunawardene said
that the construction work on
fuel bunkering terminal with a
capacity of 82,000 metric tonnes
at the new Hambantota port will
be completed in May. The Port,
which is seen as a bunkering
centre, located at a strategic
point will attract ocean-going
vessels on the East-West
shipping route.
The Deputy
Minster said that the Sri Lanka
Ports Authority will handle the
oil bunkering which would be the
one area that is not open to
foreign investors.
However,
other services including bulk
cargo handling, storage
facilities, warehouses,
transshipment are open to
foreign investments. “Our target
is to reach four million tonnes
storage with bulk
transshipments,” he said.
He said that
the bunker business is an
important way of earning money
required to repay the Chinese
loans.
The
Hambantota Port, which is Sri
Lanka’s second largest harbour
was constructed in line with
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s
aim of making Sri Lanka the
Miracle of Asia.
(CPRD-28032011) |