German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs explores opportunities at HIP

Tobias Pierlings, Director and Head of Division for South Asia and Southeast Asia at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin and a delegation from the German Embassy in Sri Lanka visited the Hambantota International Port (HIP) last week.

The visit aimed to explore the potential business opportunities in Sri Lanka and assess the capabilities of Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG).

HIPG Deputy General Manager Commercial and Marketing Bindu Ranasinghe briefed the delegation on the port’s recent advancements. Discussions highlighted the growth in RORO, bulk, oil and gas cargoes as well as the port’s expanding container operations, which are primarily aligned with the development of the industrial zone. 

“This visit allowed the German delegation to experience firsthand the ongoing developments at the HIP. We discussed future opportunities for German businesses, including our planned expansions and significant investments in various sectors, including container operations,” said Ranasinghe.  

Also discussed was the HIP’s rapid development as a commercial hub and expansion of the cruise sector, which opened up doors for so many in this line of business and aligned industries to benefit. Ranasinghe also brought to their attention the growth in local employment at the port, which has almost tripled in number, since HIPG took over.

The other members of the German delegation included German Embassy in Colombo Deputy Head of Mission Counsellor Olaf Malchow, German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka Chief Delegate of Delegation Marie Antonia von Schönburg, Trade, Development and Political Affairs Advisor Dharini Daluwatte and Head of Corporate Affairs and Export Promotions Malintha Gajanayake. 

The visitors were given an overview of the port’s state-of-the-art facilities and had a bird’s-eye view of the entire complex from the 12th floor of the HIP’s flagship Maritime Centre Building.