With the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by Fiji Ports Corporation Ltd (FPCL) on behalf of subsidiary Ports Terminal Ltd (PTL) with Sri Lankan based Aitken Spence PLC, the ports operations at Suva and Lautoka are now to be managed by a Public/Private Partnership (PPP).
At the MOU signing, the Honourable Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama said, “We share the same vision to make these container terminals world class, to radically overturn the inefficiencies of the past and apply best practice to eventually establish them as the leading ports and maritime logistic centres in the Pacific.”
The Prime Minister said that Fiji’s alliance with Aitken Spence was undoubtedly one of the most significant PPP agreements the Government was forging as it reformed a range of sectors in Fiji, with the global record showing that where there is better efficiency and productivity on the wharves, imports become cheaper and exports become more competitive.
He said that 86 of the top 100 performing ports in the world are managed through this type of partnership.
Dr Parakrama Dissanayake, Chairman of Aitken Spence Maritime Ltd and Director of Aitken Spence PLC, “We see immense opportunities for the private sector to spearhead Fiji’s vision to exploit its strategic geographic position and skilled human resources to become the premier regional maritime hub.”
Aitken Spence PCL, Sri Lanka’s largest maritime logistics company, has an international presence and a proven background in cargo, container, supply chain and courier management, with installations in six countries in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia.