Sri Lankan government to expand local ports in export drive

The Sri Lankan government will expand the ports of Galle, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai in an effort to accommodate a potential increase in exports to both regional and global destinations.

Jayantha Samaraweera, state minister of container warehouse facilities, container yards, port facilities, and boat and shipping industry development, told local media that the expansions would be useful as the ports of Colombo and Hambantota could face future congestion.

He noted that one of the government’s top priorities is to use the rail network to transport containers, with the aim to ease the congestion in the city of Colombo as well as outstations and the immediate Colombo suburbs.