saraprobe
01-24-2008, 02:40 AM
The country will hold its first- ever Boat Show in June this year and the annual event will be inducted into the International Boat Industry (IBI) Boat Show Calendar published every year. The IBI Calendar is full with boat shows in over 60 destinations in 27 countries and the month of June is the only free month without a boat show.
This event is expected to emphasise the country’s potential to be a major player in the ever growing industry of boat making, particularly in the area of leisure and adventure boating.
Organisers of Boat Show Sri Lanka 2008, Boat Building Technology Improvement Lanka (Guarantee) Ltd. (BTI), expect to attract around 60 participants to the fair who are related to the field as boat manufacturers, suppliers, accessory manufacturers, service providers and will provide a forum for all these related business sectors and potential buyers.
"The local boat industry is Rs.12 billion in Sri Lanka and the sky is the limit as far as our potential goes," Gamini Herath, Managing Director BTI said.
According to Nalin Attygalle, Consultant, Boat Show Sri Lanka 2008, the island’s location is ideally suited for a flourishing boat industry.
"The industry is flourishing in Dubai which do not enjoy levels of waterfront resources as much as we do. We can use our resources to get a firm footing in a mega global market and flourish, not only in boat building but in the affiliated sectors as well,"Attygalle said.
Attygalle also said that the economy will stand to gain through increased exports, more tourist arrivals (for leisure and adventure boating), and the employment the industry will generate. The country could also increase its fishing fleet and increase its off-shore repairing capabilities, both of which will add further benefits to the economy.
BTI is currently engaged in talks with the Export Development Board and the National Chamber of Exporters in an effort to realise the industry’s potential to make it big on the global stage.
"We have to reposition the boat industry in Sri Lanka and work at realising its true potential," Attygalle said stressing the need for the country’s lawmakers to see this through.
BTI Chairman Neil Fernando (who is also the Chairman of Neil Marine Ltd.), said that a large number of foreign fishing boats are exploiting the resources within the country’s territorial waters. The ability to build bigger, better fishing craft could easily rectify the problem. The current security situation was not conducive towards water sports with various restrictions in place. But the state’s monopoly over waterfronts is another problem all together.
"When Neil Marine Ltd. constructed a 90-foot vessel, we did not have a waterfront to launch it and had to transport it along the Negombo road. The Municipality then banned the transportation of vessels of more than 60 feet in length. We were told to import boats from Singapore without building them here and putting them in a position of encumbrance," Fernando said.
The country’s biggest boat builder, with 35,000 boats turned out over a span of 40 years, Neil Marine Ltd., one of the founding companies of BTI) loses up to 40 employees a month because their skills are in high demand worldwide.
"Boatyard owners from other countries have been known to visit the yard and recruit my employees on the spot," Fernando said. He said this while trying to explain the potential the country has in terms of building the boat building industry and generating skilled employment.
Fernando said that Sri Lanka can specialise in building luxury boats. There are two reasons behind this.
One is that specialisation is always important in a world market so that the country can benefit from comparative advantage. Europeans are demanding more and more luxury boats as they have more dispensable income than the rest of the world and like to spend their holidays at sea.
The second reason to go for a high value vessel is the cost in exporting fibreglass.
"Freight charges are too expensive and the boat building industry in Sri Lanka cannot be sustained unless we build more value added larger vessels," Fernando said. He attributed the high freight charges to collusion and the discontinuation of service of other freight liners because of the prevailing situation in the country.
Hatem Rajabdeen, Managing Director, Modern Fibreglass Industries Pte Ltd., a member company of BTI, said that freight charges had tripled over the last couple of years.
BTI is organising this event with the assistants of GTZ (German Technical Corporation).
Island Business
This event is expected to emphasise the country’s potential to be a major player in the ever growing industry of boat making, particularly in the area of leisure and adventure boating.
Organisers of Boat Show Sri Lanka 2008, Boat Building Technology Improvement Lanka (Guarantee) Ltd. (BTI), expect to attract around 60 participants to the fair who are related to the field as boat manufacturers, suppliers, accessory manufacturers, service providers and will provide a forum for all these related business sectors and potential buyers.
"The local boat industry is Rs.12 billion in Sri Lanka and the sky is the limit as far as our potential goes," Gamini Herath, Managing Director BTI said.
According to Nalin Attygalle, Consultant, Boat Show Sri Lanka 2008, the island’s location is ideally suited for a flourishing boat industry.
"The industry is flourishing in Dubai which do not enjoy levels of waterfront resources as much as we do. We can use our resources to get a firm footing in a mega global market and flourish, not only in boat building but in the affiliated sectors as well,"Attygalle said.
Attygalle also said that the economy will stand to gain through increased exports, more tourist arrivals (for leisure and adventure boating), and the employment the industry will generate. The country could also increase its fishing fleet and increase its off-shore repairing capabilities, both of which will add further benefits to the economy.
BTI is currently engaged in talks with the Export Development Board and the National Chamber of Exporters in an effort to realise the industry’s potential to make it big on the global stage.
"We have to reposition the boat industry in Sri Lanka and work at realising its true potential," Attygalle said stressing the need for the country’s lawmakers to see this through.
BTI Chairman Neil Fernando (who is also the Chairman of Neil Marine Ltd.), said that a large number of foreign fishing boats are exploiting the resources within the country’s territorial waters. The ability to build bigger, better fishing craft could easily rectify the problem. The current security situation was not conducive towards water sports with various restrictions in place. But the state’s monopoly over waterfronts is another problem all together.
"When Neil Marine Ltd. constructed a 90-foot vessel, we did not have a waterfront to launch it and had to transport it along the Negombo road. The Municipality then banned the transportation of vessels of more than 60 feet in length. We were told to import boats from Singapore without building them here and putting them in a position of encumbrance," Fernando said.
The country’s biggest boat builder, with 35,000 boats turned out over a span of 40 years, Neil Marine Ltd., one of the founding companies of BTI) loses up to 40 employees a month because their skills are in high demand worldwide.
"Boatyard owners from other countries have been known to visit the yard and recruit my employees on the spot," Fernando said. He said this while trying to explain the potential the country has in terms of building the boat building industry and generating skilled employment.
Fernando said that Sri Lanka can specialise in building luxury boats. There are two reasons behind this.
One is that specialisation is always important in a world market so that the country can benefit from comparative advantage. Europeans are demanding more and more luxury boats as they have more dispensable income than the rest of the world and like to spend their holidays at sea.
The second reason to go for a high value vessel is the cost in exporting fibreglass.
"Freight charges are too expensive and the boat building industry in Sri Lanka cannot be sustained unless we build more value added larger vessels," Fernando said. He attributed the high freight charges to collusion and the discontinuation of service of other freight liners because of the prevailing situation in the country.
Hatem Rajabdeen, Managing Director, Modern Fibreglass Industries Pte Ltd., a member company of BTI, said that freight charges had tripled over the last couple of years.
BTI is organising this event with the assistants of GTZ (German Technical Corporation).
Island Business