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Sri Lanka strives to boost marine safety and revenue through navigational chart production
In a televised discussion, Pramitha Tennakoon, State Minister of Defence, highlighted Sri Lanka’s need to produce 122 electronic navigational charts covering the Sea of Sri Lanka, revealing that only six have been created thus far.
However, the government has taken steps to finaliSe these charts by mid -2025, he said.
“Sri Lanka needs a deep water multi beamer and a shallow water multi beamer to produce these charts. If we have one of each, it will take us two years to produce the 122 charts. However, I think we can have two of each machine. So, we think we can finalize the charts within a year to 18 months. We are trying to finalize the charts by mid-2025,” he said.
The country has continued to neglect the opportunity to earn significant foreign revenue by providing electronic navigational charts to ships that cross the Sea of Sri Lanka every day, the state minister of defence said.Sri Lanka in 2022 took the first steps to become a country that produces these charts, he said.
Tennakoon said a state institution had been entrusted with producing these electronic navigational charts. However, not a lot of progress had been made, he said.
However, he said the Sri Lanka Navy had expressed willingness to undertake the task of mapping out an essential map for safe marine navigation for ocean-going ships sailing in Sri Lankan waters. This is one of the busiest sea lanes. Annually, about 45,000 ships cross the sea of Sri Lanka, he said.
“Most people think these ships should come to our ports for us to make an income. This is not true. When I took over as state minister of defence, officials from the Navy’s hydrography office came to meet me. They showed me how busy the sea of Sri Lanka is and that we can make hundreds of millions of dollars each year by selling electronic navigational charts,” he said.
Many countries require merchant ships to have these maps on board for safe navigation when they have entered a specific country’s waters, wherever the ships’ destination may be, and pay for the host country’s service, he said.
Electronic navigational charts are a marine geo-spatial product and service required to be used by international law to ensure the safe navigation of merchant ships.
Those ships did not necessarily have to enter a country’s seaport, the state minister said.
” But they need to use it while sailing in a country’s waters to comply with safety protocols. An electronic navigational chart will measure the water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of possible obstructions and physical features of the sea at the time and help keep maritime transportation moving safely and efficiently in any given region. The map obtains necessary data by surveying with multibeam echosounders. The accuracy of the hydrography map is critically important for many applications to reduce uncertainties while sailing in coastal lines, he said.
“They indicate shoals, rocks and wrecks that could be hazards to navigation. They also collect information on water levels, tides, currents, etc. The maps will indicate the shoreline and square nautical miles of a country’s waters, which are considered critical to navigation. Now, the government has focused on mapping out an indigenous hydrography map to earn foreign currency from the service because it is our business, and we have to claim it,” Tennakoon said.
Each vessel needs two electronic navigational charts, and as a coastal nation, Sri Lanka also has a responsibility to provide these charts, he said.
“However, Sri Lanka still relies on paper charts, and some of these are over 100 years old. We need 122 electronic navigational charts to cover the Sea of Sri Lanka. We have only produced six of these charts. Furthermore, we still depend on charts made by the British,” he said
Tennakoon said that producing those charts was vital for our national security, economic prosperity and sovereignty. 200 million dollars was equal to the total annual turnover of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, he said.
“Trust in the accuracy of our existing charts is low. All ships are insured. When they travel through areas that are not properly chartered, the insurance premium is higher. If our charts are better, the cost of transporting goods to Sri Lanka by ship will drop.,” he said.
In January 2023, the President issued a special gazette proclamation to establish a National Hydrographic Office. The state minister said the navy has been called upon for mapping.
“The national hydrographic bill has been presented and accepted to the cabinet. This was presented to Parliament by the Minister of Justice on 03 October. Now anyone can challenge the bill,” he said. (RK)
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
