Ports veteran Parakrama Dissanayake takes over as SLPA Chairman
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Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake assuming duties as SLPA Chairman. Vice Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) P. G. Dasanayake, SLPA Managing Director H. D. A. S. Premachandra, SLPA Executive Director H. A. Wimalasooriya and SLPA Director (Logistics) Upali De Zoysa are also in the picture.
Veteran ports and shipping logistics expert, Parakrama Dissanayake was last week appointed Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), assuming this position for the second time in his career.
Dr. Dissanayake was the Chairman of SLPA from 2001 – 2004 and is also a past Chairman of state owned Jaya Container Terminals Ltd and the Sri Lanka Port Management Consultancy Services Ltd, SLPA.
He serves on the UN/UNCTAD Panel as an expert on Ports and Shipping is a Past Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Past Chairman of the Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport (Sri Lanka Branch) and a Past Chairman of the Central Advisory Council of Sri Lanka Transport Board.
Before his present appointment as SLPA Chairman, Dr. Dissanayake served as Chairman/CEO of Aitken Spence Maritime, Logistics & Cargo and Director – Aitken Spence PLC, positions he has stepped down.
“Earlier we had four shipping alliances and now three alliances which means there is concentration amongst shipping lines. The shipping lines have got enormous power over the selection of ports. Last year the top 20 container shipping lines lost about US$15 billion pointing to the enormity of the global challenges we are faced with. And more importantly, the East-West trade route where the Port of Colombo is situated, we should understand that within the next two years, the ships plying will have 90 per cent of Ultra Large Container vessels,” he said in comments made after the appointment.