Hemas Group gets into maritime business

Far Shipping Lanka Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hemas Holdings Plc, has been appointed as the exclusive Shipping Agent for Far Shipping Lines (FSL), Singapore. An agreement was signed recently in Singapore by both parties to enhance their operations in Sri Lanka, the company said this week. Maintaining a presence in Colombo since 2002 and currently operating four services, FSL remains the only feeder from the top common carrier operators which maintains all services exclusively to the port of Colombo.

Far Shipping initially launched feeder services linking transshipment ports in Singapore, the Port of Colombo with the Indian Sub-Continent. It subsequently expanded its network and now offers services connecting the Indian Sub-Continent and Arabian Gulf with transshipment ports in the Colombo Port.

Managing Director, Far Shipping Lines, Yu Yong Jung said that FSL plans in Colombo are long term. “Our aim is to build customer confidence over a period of time by establishing regular and reliable service patterns.” Head of Shipping at Hemas, Irshad Musheen said, “The group's determination to have a maritime presence is supported by a fundamental philosophy to explore and discover new business horizons. This further demonstrates the Group's desire to support the Colombo Port's status of Hub Port for South Asia through the involvement of the feeder business.

Musheen said Hemas will also look at Hambantota as the 'port of the future' and look at business avenues in this green field project. He added that Galle and Oluvil port development are also other areas where the private sector anticipates considerable activity.