2021 was a watershed year for HIP with the port’s activities spreading in several new directions, which has created a unique ecosystem for economic prosperity for Sri Lanka. The port worked to provide opportunities for maritime trade and investment on the East-West routes of the Indian ocean. HIP which is slated to become a topnotch multipurpose port is uniquely positioned to be a catalyst for the industrial development of the south of Sri Lanka through its industrial park situated within the port and adjacent development activities earmarked by the government of Sri Lanka.
The port is rapidly building capacity in the areas of port services and operations, investment, industrial zone, and bonded facilities, marking several notable milestones throughout the past year.
HIP Speed
A lot of the port’s recent successes can be attributed to its agility formula ‘HIP Speed’ introduced by the Hambantota International Port Group CEO Johnson Liu. It is the blueprint to spur development in every direction of the port’s activities, and specially designed to clear bottlenecks and build processes that do not stand in the way of implementing projects on time. With HIP Speed, the port has much tighter deadlines to complete projects, which has helped considerably in bringing desirable investment to the port.
CEO Johnson Liu says, “HIP Speed has brought a new dimension to investment in port operations and allied industries. We put this formula in place taking into consideration the opportunities that will emerge in the coming years, when supply and demand structures will change and trade routes will be reinvented. HIP speed is an essential ingredient and catalyst to drive the dynamic needs of the supply chain industry under the new normal.”
On the heels of the HIP Speed initiative, came support from the state sector, with agencies like the Board of Investment (BOI) and Industrial Development Board (IDB), setting up offices in the port’s main administration building.
Source : Hellenic Shipping News
