Tobias Pierlings, Director and Head of Division for South Asia and Southeast Asia at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin and a delegation from the German Embassy in Sri Lanka, visited the Hambantota International Port (HIP) last week. The visit was to explore potential business opportunities in Sri Lanka and assess the capabilities of the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG).
Bindu Ranasinghe, Deputy General Manager of Commercial and Marketing at HIPG, briefed the delegation on the port’s recent advancements. Discussions highlighted the growth in RORO, bulk, oil and gas cargoes, as well as the port’s expanding container operations which is primarily aligned with the development of the industrial zone. “This visit allowed the German delegation to experience firsthand the ongoing developments at the Hambantota International Port. We discussed future opportunities for German businesses, including our planned expansions and significant investments in various sectors including container operations,” said the Deputy General Manager. Also discussed was HIP’s rapid development as a commercial hub and the expansion of the cruise sector which opened up doors for so many in this line of business and aligned industries to benefit. Bindu Ranasinghe also brought to their attention, the growth in local employment at the port, which has almost tripled in number, since HIPG took over.
Other members of the German delegation included Olaf Malchow, Deputy Head of Mission Counselor at the German Embassy in Colombo; Marie Antonia von Schönburg, Chief Delegate of the Delegation for German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka; Dharini Daluwatte, Advisor for Trade, Development, and Political Affairs; and Malintha Gajanayake, Head of Corporate Affairs and Export Promotions.
The visitors were given an overview of the port’s state-of-the-art facilities and had a bird’s eye view of the entire complex from the 12th floor of HIP’s flagship Maritime Center Building.