A newly-formed association representing recruiting agents of seafarers aims to help the Government raise the number of Sri Lankan seafarers serving on foreign ships to 50,000 in the next five years from a current 16,000. The new Association of Seafarer Recruiting Agents (ASRA) said the foreign exchange Sri Lanka earns from the employment of seafarers [...]

Business Times

New seafarers association to help increase SL seafarers to 50,000

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(Standing from left) Prashantha Karunanayake - UNK Sagacious (Pvt) Ltd; Himantha Devendra - Dev Marine Agencies (Pvt) Ltd; Jagath Perera - Win - Stone Shipping (Pvt) Ltd; Capt. Hemantha Madanayake - CMA Ships Lanka (Pvt) Ltd; and Kalinga De Silva - Centrum Marine Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd. Seated: Treasurer - Ms. Dharshana Senanayake – SeaMate Lanka (Pvt) Ltd; Chairman - Capt. Ajith Peiris - Ceyline Group; and Secretary - Capt. Rohan Codipilly - Mercantile Marine Management Ltd.

A newly-formed association representing recruiting agents of seafarers aims to help the Government raise the number of Sri Lankan seafarers serving on foreign ships to 50,000 in the next five years from a current 16,000.

The new Association of Seafarer Recruiting Agents (ASRA) said the foreign exchange Sri Lanka earns from the employment of seafarers on foreign ships is approximately US$300 million per annum. Under the Government’s planned project, the expected earnings will increase to $1 billion per annum, ASRA said at its first annual general meeting held on December 16, 2020.

ASRA said its members will be contributing and helping the above project where it will not only benefit its members but also the Sri Lankan youth and Sri Lanka as a whole.

The association invited all the companies who are involved in seafarer recruitment to join ASRA and show the strength of the Sri Lankan seafaring industry to the rest of the maritime nations in the world, to make them aware of ‘our’ potential to man their ships.

The initiative to launch this association is led by the Executive Chairman of the Ceyline Group and Chairman of CINEC Campus Capt. Ajith Peiris while the Minister of Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardena will lead a Public/Private Sector Project (PPP) to embark on a task to increase the employment of Sri Lankan youth on ships.

ASRA said it would encourage its members to explore and increase the employment opportunities to the Sri Lankan youth on foreign ships; and be the voice of the seafarer manning industry and to represent matters related to this sector to the relevant authorities.

At the first meeting of ASRA, the following office bearers and Executive Committee members were elected: Chairman – Capt. Ajith Peiris – Ceyline Group; Secretary – Capt. Rohan Codipilly – Mercantile Marine Management Ltd; Treasurer – Ms. Dharshana Senanayake – SeaMate Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

Executive Committee Members: Jagath Perera – Win – Stone Shipping (Pvt) Ltd; Himantha Devendra – Dev Marine Agencies (Pvt) Ltd; Kalinga De Silva – Centrum Marine Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd; Prashantha Karunanayake – UNK Sagacious (Pvt) Ltd; and Capt. Hemantha Madanayake – CMA Ships Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

ASRA said countries such as Norway, Japan, Korea, Germany, Greece etc will be approached for potential employment opportunities. The Director General of Merchant Shipping (DGMS) will play a major role in this exercise. As the licensing and certificate issuing authority for Sri Lankan seafarers, their support is very important to secure jobs on board ships. ASRA has already started a dialogue with the DGMS office and held its first meeting recently, the association said.

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