Port City creates social value for Sri Lankans
The Colombo Port City project on Monday launched its first Social Responsibility Report at the Kingsbury Colombo hotel highlighting the safety standards and link with the local communities.
File picture of Construction at the Colombo Port City
China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Head Public Relations Kassapa Senarath, delivering a presentation on the report, said the project is about value, integration, livelihood, quality and is eco-friendly.
As a Public Private Partnership (PPP) it makes domestic purchases and is also involved in transferring knowledge and technology to the people.
Mr. Senarath noted that the project was offering a win-win situation for local suppliers as Port City Colombo invites third-party organisations to offer systematic training for 1,500 local suppliers and issue certificates. Local designers were employed for the planning, designing and construction of this mega project, and the company was able to create stable job opportunities that directly supported 8,000 locals.
This integration project provides best and equal training and development and building localised corporate culture.
By the end of October 2019, 16 training programmes were conducted involving 620 participants. A total of Rs. 37 million (US$203,000) was allocated for the training budget, of which 90 per cent has been effectively utilised for these purposes, it was highlighted.
In terms of a livelihood project it has provided Rs.550 million of funding the fisherfolk families who might be affected by the project.
Mr. Senarath pointed out that subsequent to the insights gathered pertaining to the difficult living conditions of fishermen in Negombo, the company proposed and financed Rs. 550 million for the Fishermen Livelihood Improvement Programme in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Government and NGOs.
Its quality assurance is guaranteed in that it has been able to carry out the work to date with 12 million safe manpower hours with no issues.
The project conducted more than 192 safety training sessions involving over 4,224 participants and has successfully achieved approximately 12 million safe working hours with zero accidents, it was stated.
The Port City project is established as an eco-friendly project in a sustainable zone. Adhering to the concept of sustainable development, by respecting the local diversity, improving the environment, reducing pollution and conserving resources during the implementation of the project, the company was felicitated with several accolades.
Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan addressing the launch stated that this project was a partnership between China and Sri Lanka based on the close ties between the two countries.
He noted that for this iconic project 269 hectares of land had been reclaimed and the offshore breakwater for it was completed as well.
Port City Colombo Project Director Nihal Fernando said that in a bid to create a link between the Port City and the international airport there would be an underground system established as a result of which the width of the Gall Face Green would be extended in future by 40 metres.
Chief Guest on the occasion was State Minister of Urban Development Gamini Lokuge who was presented with a copy of the report that documents the company’s commitment to the communities, employees, customers and the planet covering the period from September 2014 to November 2019.