The government’s efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka were further strengthened this week with a donation of US$ 100,000 (Rs 18.6 million at current exchange rates) from Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT), the company that manages the South Terminal of the Port of Colombo.

The donation presented to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week for the COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund was the third cash donation by CICT and its employees towards the battle against the pandemic in 2020 and the fourth donation towards the cause overall.

In May this year, the China Merchants Foundation (CMF), the CSR arm of CICT’s parent company China Merchants Group donated US$ 200,000 (about Rs 37.4 million) to the COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund, and in October, CICT employees contributed a further Rs 800,000. Additionally, the Company donated more than 1,000 protective suits and 25,000 face masks to Sri Lanka in 2020.

“CICT is not just integral to Sri Lanka’s economy, it is a major cog in the engine of growth and as such must help shoulder the burden of the fight against COVID-19,” CICT CEO Jack Huang said. “We are happy to share this responsibility through keeping our terminal operations going in the midst of many challenges and by contributing funds and equipment to support those at the frontline of the battle. We believe that is what any good corporate citizen should do.”

Huang was accompanied by CICT Chief Financial Officer Raymond Mu at the presentation of the Company’s latest donation to President Rajapaksa.

Besides its generous contributions to the efforts to combat COVID-19, CICT also supported the construction of a two storey community centre that will provide multiple essential services to some 2000 people living in Pannila near Horana with an initial commitment of Rs 18.4 million earlier this year.

Additionally, as part of CICT’s continuing support to the Wheelchair Tennis Programme of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA), the Company donated US $35,000 (Rs 6.5 million) and three professional grade, titanium wheelchairs costing US$ 9000 (Rs 1.6 million) in August and June this year. CMF and CICT had together donated Rs 30 million to the SLTA’s Wheelchair Tennis Programme between 2015 and 2019, becoming the main sponsor for wheelchair tennis in the country. This support has enabled Sri Lankan players to participate in many international tournaments, elevating the country to be ranked among the top 40 countries that play wheelchair tennis.

The CICT managed South Terminal of the Port of Colombo is the only deep water terminal in South Asia, which is equipped with facilities to handle the largest vessels afloat. Since its inception in 2014, the terminal has incrementally grown the volume it has handled; from 686,639 teus in 2014, to 1.56 million teus in 2015, 2 million teus in 2016, 2.38 million teus in 2017, 2.67 million teus in 2018, and 2.9 million teus in 2019.

(News Release)