The Port of Colombo has witnessed the highest growth of 19.5% in transshipment container throughput for the first 10 months in 2018 as against the corresponding period in 2017. During the first ten months of 2018, the Port of Colombo handled 4,717,746 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of transshipment containers as against 3,948,163 TEUs handled in the corresponding period in 2017.
Under the leadership Minister of Ports and Shipping Mahinda Samarasinghe, and advice by the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Dr Parakrama Dissanayake the positive increase at SLPA controlled terminal, Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), and Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), and South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) collectively resulted in this increase.
Following Minister Samarasinghe assuming office as the Minister of Ports and Shipping, an exclusive 3-year plan was introduced to develop the entire port sector to establish Sri Lanka as the most preferred maritime gateway to South Asia.
