News
Vizhinjam hopeful of setting new benchmark in turnaround time
Port to reduce India’s dependence on Singapore, Colombo, and Port Klang
The long-awaited Vizhinjam international seaport, India’s first deep-water container transshipment port, is all set to put India on the map of global sea trade, scripting a new chapter in the global maritime trade, The Hindu reported. However, the port will have to carve its niche by competing with port majors like Colombo, Singapore, or Port Klang. A cursory glance through the infrastructure and technical prowess of these ports will reveal that Vizhinjam has a long way to go.
For instance, Singapore and Colombo ports handled 36.8 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) and 6.85 million TEUs of containers in 2020, whereas the projected capacity of Vizhinjam in the first phase is just 1 million. The turnaround time of vessels, one of the key parameters, that determines the competitiveness of a port, was relatively high in India, largely due to the complex customs clearance associated with the business.
However, according to the latest figures available with the Shipping Ministry, the Indian ports have recently achieved a “turnaround time” of 0.9 days, as per the World Bank’s logistic performance index report for 2023. This is better than the U.S.A (1.5 days), UAE (1.1 days) Singapore (1.0 days), Russian Federation (1.8 days), Malaysia (1.0), Ireland (1.2 days), Indonesia (1.1 days), New Zealand (1.1 days) and South Africa (2.8 days).
Less than a day
According to sources close to Vizhinjam port, the turnaround time would be less than one day in Vizhinjam. However, the exact details would be available only after the successful start of commercial operations, they said.
Vizhinjam also has certain limitations in offering competitive rates for shipping lines in the beginning compared to Colombo or Singapore. However, the major attraction of Vizhinjam is its proximity to international shipping routes and its deep draft. For instance, the minimum voyage time to Vizhinjam port from the Seuz route, which accounts for a significant share of the global container traffic between the U.S., Europe, and Asia, is around 0.5 to 1 hour, almost equal to the time to Colombo port. On the other hand, all the other ports on the west and east coasts of the country require a voyage of more than 5 hours from the shipping route, said sources.
Insufficient draft
Plus, with global shipping majors preferring ports with an 18-metre or more draft, Vihinjam, with an approximately 20-metre draft, is a major attraction for shipping lines. Even the neighbouring Cochin and V. O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi have an insufficient draft of 14.5 m and 14.2 m, respectively. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, Vizhinajm can now handle the largest mother ships in operation.
Further, considering the fact that Indian ports handle around 10% of transshipment cargo out of the total container traffic volume the ports handle every year, Vizhinjam can reduce the dependence of the EXIM communities on the foreign transshipment hubs of Singapore, Colombo, and Port Klang in Malaysia, said the sources.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.
Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.
During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.
The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.
SJB Gampaha District MP Harshana Rajakaruna yesterday told Parliament that the Speaker’s Personal Secretary had written to the Secretary-General of Parliament seeking information on a complaint lodged with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) by a former Deputy Secretary of Parliament against the Speaker. Rajakaruna called for an immediate investigation into what he described as interference with an ongoing probe.
Raising the matter in the House, Rajakaruna said he had formally requested the Commission to initiate an inquiry into the conduct of the Speaker’s Personal Secretary, Chameera Gallage, questioning the authority under which such information had been sought.
Rajapakaruna tabled in Parliament a copy of the letter allegedly sent by Gallage to the Secretary-General requesting details of the bribery complaint.
Addressing the House, Rajakaruna said that the letter, sent two days earlier, had sought “full details” of the complaint against the Speaker. He maintained that seeking such information amounted to interference with an investigation and constituted a serious offence under the Bribery Act.
“The Speaker’s Secretary has no right to interfere with the work of the Bribery Commission. Under what law is he acting? What authority does he have? The Speaker, like everyone else, is subject to the law of the land,” Rajakaruna said, urging the Commission to take immediate action.
He noted that the Bribery Act treated the obstruction of investigations and the destruction of documents relating to such inquiries as serious offences punishable by law, and said he believed the Minister of Justice would concur.
The allegations sparked sharp reactions in the Chamber, as Opposition members called for accountability and due process in relation to the complaint against the Speaker.
By Saman Indrajith
The Ceylon Electricity Board has managed to reduce the average cost of electricity generation from Rs. 37 per unit to Rs. 29, marking a 22 percent reduction, Minister of Power and Energy Eng. Kumara Jayakody told Parliament yesterday.
Responding to an oral question raised by Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake, the Minister said that electricity tariffs cannot be reduced unless the cost of generation is brought down.
“You cannot reduce electricity tariffs without reducing the cost of generation. What we are currently doing is buying at a higher price and selling at a lower price. When we assumed office, the cost of purchasing and generating electricity was Rs. 37 per unit. We have now managed to bring it down to Rs. 29, a reduction of 22 percent.
Our target is to further reduce this to Rs. 25. Once that is achieved, we will reduce electricity tariffs by 30 percent within three years, as we promised,” Minister Jayakody said.
He added that the government has already formulated a long-term generation plan to further expand the country’s power generation capacity.
According to the Minister, key measures include increasing the absorption of renewable energy into the national grid, expanding the national transmission and distribution network, introducing renewable energy storage systems, and constructing thermal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants to replace aging facilities and meet future demand.
He also said that steps would be taken to enhance the capacity of existing hydropower plants as part of the broader strategy to ensure energy security and reduce long-term electricity costs.
By Ifham Nizam
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