Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed has said that 4,200 containers are currently stuck in Colombo due to overcrowding at the Malé Commercial Port.
The majority of container goods imported to the Maldives are transshipped through Colombo. Vessels depart from Colombo only as space becomes available at the Malé Commercial Port.
"The figure I received this morning is that 4,200 containers are stuck in Colombo, or are currently in transit. While shipments are arriving continuously, there are 4,200 containers currently held up in Colombo," Saeed said at a press conference at the President's Office on Wednesday.
Saeed further stated that the Economic Ministry is working closely with businesses and importers to resolve the challenges arising from specific types of goods being delayed.
He noted that at the request of businesses to expedite the shipment of sunflower oil and milk containers currently stranded in Sri Lanka, the ministry is working to prioritize the shipment of these two commodities as quickly as possible.
Local businesses have been expressing concern over the financial losses incurred due to the prolonged duration required to discharge cargo from vessels at the Malé Commercial Port.
The combined capacity of the Malé Commercial Port and the Hulhumalé Terminal is 2,750 containers. While unloading delays occur periodically, it currently takes an average of 17 days to clear cargo from a single vessel.
The Empty Container Depot established in Thilafushi has been operational since September last year to alleviate pressure. The facility has a storage capacity for 3,000 containers.
Previously, goods could be unloaded and released to the market within approximately one week. The current extension of this timeframe has begun to impact the inventory levels of various businesses.
It has been reported that shipments belonging to major food importers remain uncleared, including those belonging to companies that supply the resort industry.
Since its opening 40 years ago in September 1986, no significant solution has been implemented to expand the capacity of the Malé Commercial Port. While the port's infrastructure has remained largely unchanged, the volume of imports to the Maldives continues to grow exponentially every year.
