Flagship Colombo terminal held back by equipment tender failures

The Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT), Sri Lanka’s flagship port project under the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), remains unable to reach full operational capacity, more than four years after construction began, industry insiders say.

- BY CHAMINDA SILVA

Despite near-complete infrastructure and a strategic vision to bolster Sri Lanka’s position as a regional maritime hub, the terminal is paralyzed by a single missing component: straddle carriers, essential machines for moving containers between ships and yard storage.

“The terminal is essentially ready. Quay cranes, yard cranes, automation systems, and supporting infrastructure are all in place. Only straddle carriers are missing, and without them, full-scale operations are impossible,” Tharanga Jayasinghe, President of the Port Finance Divisional Independent Employee Association, told journalists.

Addressing a press conference held in Colombo Jayasinghe said that the delay is not due to employee performance. “SLPA staff have delivered outstanding results at the Jaya Container Terminal and partial operations at CECT. The responsibility to bring CECT fully on track now lies squarely with SLPA management and the authorized decision-makers overseeing this strategic national investment.”