Sri Lanka, Jan. 23 -- The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) commenced operations of Phase III of the Eastern Container Terminal (CECT) today (23), marking a key milestone in the government's programme to develop the Port of Colombo into a regionally competitive maritime hub.

With the completion of Phase III, 1,090 metres of the terminal's total 1,300-metre length have now been completed, while 82 per cent of the remaining construction work is also finished. The opening of this phase enables the Eastern Container Terminal to handle three container vessels simultaneously.

Operations officially began with the arrival of a container vessel belonging to the CMA CGM Group, which is currently undergoing container handling at the terminal, marki...