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Hambantota Port operations hampered by lack of trained personnel
View(s):Since the declaration of the Hambantota Port as a free port, there has been a heavy inflow of ships carrying vehicles into the Port, but lack of trained operational staff has hampered unloading and loading work. Between January and September this year, a total of 37,537 vehicles from India, Japan and the Gulf States were unloaded at the port for transshipment.
They are to be re-exported to Europe, Africa and Australia. Nineteen thousand units destined for the local market too arrived at the Hambantota Port to date this year, said Colombo Port’s Business Development Manager Upul Jayatissa.
He said that, this year, to date, a total of 20 ships carrying vehicles had arrived at the Port, averaging two ships per day.
“However, the lack of trained operational staff was hampering work at the port,” he added.