Karu envisages regional fortunes for Ceylon Shipping Corporation

State-owned Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd (CSC) should be developed into a main regional line, Sri Lanka Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya recently told a maritime forum in Colombo. 

“It is understandable while we cannot invest and develop Shipping Corporation as an international shipping line, I believe that we have to look at how to develop it as a regional national carrier,” he said. Following a period of decline, CSC purchased two bulk carriers recently, which are the only ships in its fleet.

“We are aware that Ceylon Shipping Corporation, the national sea carrier, has purchased two brand-new bulk carrier ships which are now deployed for coal transportation to the country,” Jayasuriya said.

He noted that the two ships provide an opportunity for trainee seafarers from the maritime training institutions in the country to have on-board training.

CSC was founded in 1971 as a state corporation and was then converted into a company in 1992 with full state ownership.

It had commissioned nine conventional ships in the 1970s and 1980s and after container shipping became popular, CSC had been the first South Asian carrier to ship containers to Europe and had commissioned eight container ships in the 1980s.

CSC Chairman Shashi Dhanatunge has noted in the past that the national carrier has aims to start ferry and cruise services within the region to boost tourism into Sri Lanka.

Jayasuriya, who has a background in shipping, said that it is important to revitalize the national merchant fleet and increase the education of seafarers as well as the awareness of the maritime industry in the country, since the shipping industry is facing a labour shortage. (CW)