I have witnessed the successful construction of two Sino-Sri Lanka joint venture ports-the personal story of a Sri Lankan employee

　　I have witnessed the successful construction of two Sino-Sri Lanka joint venture ports-the personal story of a Sri Lankan employee

　　Xinhua News Agency, Colombo, December 17 -

　　Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Lu

　　"I am very proud to be a member of the start-up team of China Merchants Colombo International Container Terminal and Hambantota International Port Group. I have witnessed the successful construction of two joint venture ports in China and Sri Lanka." Now I am working for Hambantota International Port Group. Nis, the marketing manager, told Xinhua News Agency reporters.

　　Nish is already a veteran local employee of China Merchants in Sri Lanka.

In 2013, Nis moved from a well-known local company in Sri Lanka to the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) invested and constructed by China Merchants.

　　Colombo International Container Terminal is one of the first batch of national key development strategic projects approved by Sri Lanka.

Since the port officially opened for operation on July 1, 2013, as the only deep-water container terminal in South Asia, the Colombo International Container Terminal has greatly enhanced the status of the Port of Colombo in the world shipping industry.

　　Nisz said that in the initial construction of CICT, he participated in the formulation of training programs for port staff. "At that time, we had to face new challenges every day. We had to work together as a team to solve various problems. Later, I was promoted to Duty manager until terminal operations supervisor".

　　"I have to learn to deal with different emergencies and fully mobilize personnel of various types of work. How to manage gantry crane drivers is a very unforgettable experience. We must make good use of existing resources while ensuring personnel safety, so that drivers can do their best Keep working efficiently.” Niche said.

　　Nisz said that working at CICT has allowed him to learn China's advanced technology and experience in the field of terminal management and obtain more practical opportunities.

After interviews and written examinations, Niš was transferred to the Hambantota Port (Han Port) project under preparation by China Merchants in early 2017.

"At that time, I was very familiar with CICT's container business, but Hangang's business scope is broader, including ro-ro, bulk, bulk freight, maritime services, and park operations and management. Everything has to be adapted from scratch."

　　In December 2017, Hangang's operation was officially launched. At that time, the roll-on and roll-off business was the main business of Hambantota Port.

Soon after the port opened, Han Port ushered in the first ro-ro ship.

"When preparing for the first ro-ro ship operation, due to lack of operating experience and system support, everyone completed the unloading operation under relatively simple facilities. Fortunately, we were fully prepared and the results achieved in the first operation Satisfactory," Nis said.

　　With experience in port opening operations, Niš and his colleagues immediately started recruiting and training locally, and at the same time actively connected with the headquarters and launched the latest operating system.

“I’m learning while training new employees. It was a challenging period. I am very fortunate to stick to it. I am also grateful to my team for continuously stimulating my potential.”

　　With the rapid development of Hangang, Niš is also making continuous progress, after which he was transferred to the Ministry of Marketing and Commerce.

Niche told reporters: "The nature of the job is completely different. I have to learn and prepare as I did when the first ship opened in the port, so that I can become more professional and take on more responsibilities."

　　Nis's task is to cooperate with the development of Hangang's roll-on-roll business, promote and negotiate with various shipping companies, and complete the signing of terminal service agreements.

"We started from scratch and have signed terminal service agreements with six global ro-ro ship operators. The ro-ro business is developing well and Hangang's reputation in the shipping industry is getting higher and higher."

　　In a blink of an eye, Nis has been working at China Merchants Port for 8 years. In order to better understand cross-cultural communication, he participated in a Chinese language course organized by the Sri Lanka Chinese Enterprise Chamber of Commerce. “Language is a window of culture, although I still I'm just a Chinese beginner, but I believe that one day I can use Chinese freely in order to improve my business level more quickly."

　　Through the windows of the office of the Hangang Maritime Building where Nisz is located, the whole Hangang can be seen in full view.

Looking at the yard full of cars from a distance, Niš always couldn’t help but express emotion, “Hangang is the platform for me to build my dreams. Here, I have completed the biggest change in my career. I will witness with Hangang. To each other’s growth".