Page 32 - SAGT Sustainability Report 2021
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30 SOUTH ASIA GATEWAY TERMINALS (PVT) LTD

SUSTAINABILITY AT

SAGT

SAGT’s Commitment to the Sustainable              As a major maritime hub in the region, Sri         During the year under review, SAGT continued
Development Goals (SDGs)                          Lanka offers:                                      to focus on improving the productivity
The UN Agenda, with its 17 SDGs (Sustainable                                                         of its operations through various cost
Development Goals) serves as a roadmap to         •	 a strategic position in South Asia that         management initiatives and productivity
build a better and more sustainable future by        provides access to the emerging economic        enhancing measures. These included the
2030 by addressing the world’s most pressing         giant India. India is on track to be the third  DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System)
economic, social and environmental issues.           largest economy in the world by 2030, after     technology to accurately track container
Keen to position itself as a sustainability          China and the US.                               inventory in the yard, a critical factor in
advocate, SAGT has incorporated the                                                                  productive ship operations
Sustainable Development Goals approved by         •	 exposure to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
the UN in September 2015 into its business           through terminals in the Port of Colombo        Moreover, the use of specialized technology
strategy and Governance systems.                     and the Port of Hambantota, both of which       such as Prime Route and Expert Decking
                                                     have attracted Chinese investment. China is     have allowed SAGT to drive efficiency while
SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE                           one of Sri Lanka’s key trading partners.        optimizing resources. SAGT has deployed the
Maritime transport is the backbone of the                                                            NAVIS N4 Terminal Operating System (TOS)
global economy, accounting for over 90%           •	 the ability to reach Europe and the Middle      for digitally capturing data covering the entire
of cross-border trade. As the entry and exit         East faster.                                    order cycle of the Port Terminal operation.
points for cargo throughout the world, efficient                                                     Secure digital data sharing interfaces have
Ports and Terminals are a vital component of      •	 Deepwater ports with the capacity to            been implemented with statutory agencies
the global supply chain. Sri Lanka’s two major       accommodate post panmax or triple ‘E’ class     such as Sri Lanka Customs while paperless
ports are the Port of Colombo and the Port of        vessels.                                        eCommerce facilities including electronic
Hambantota in the south, both of which are                                                           payment options are offered to customers and
well connected to Colombo Airport.                Historically and even today, Sri Lanka’s growth    suppliers.
                                                  trajectory is anchored to the momentum in
                                                  port activity. In 2018, the Port of Colombo        OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
                                                  (POC)alone handled seven million TEU
                                                  containers, up from one million in 1995. In        With the world’s merchant fleet expanding
                                                  2020 the Port of Colombo became the 18th           rapidly and ships getting larger, ports are
                                                  best connected port in the world according         under increasing pressure to boost capacity
                                                  to the United Nations Conference on Trade          and improve efficiency. Ports and shipping
                                                  and Development’s (UNCTAD) Port Liner              are rapidly transformed by a range of
                                                  Shipping Connectivity Index. Port of Colombo       technological innovations that aim to make
                                                  has improved five spots from its previous          operations greener, cheaper, and more
                                                  position in 2019.Furthermore POC maintained        efficient. At the same time, the COVID-19
                                                  its place as the 22nd largest Port by container    pandemic has upended maritime transport and
                                                  throughput as per Alphaliner Port rankings         created unprecedented challenges.
                                                  during the financial year 2020/21.
                                                                                                     Operating in what is perhaps one of the most
                                                  Currently SAGT handles 27% of the total            dynamic and competitive global industries,
                                                  volume of the Port of Colombo. During the          SAGT is committed to offer world class
                                                  current financial year, SAGT handled 1.81          customer service and operational excellence
                                                  million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU’s)       as the key differentiators of its value
                                                  with transhipment volumes accounting for           proposition.
                                                  87% %of the total volume, in comparison
                                                  to the 2.06million TEU’s handled during the        With innovation and digital solutions offering
                                                  previous year, where transhipment volumes          new and imaginative ways to pursue
                                                  contributed to 81. % of the total volume.          operational and service excellence SAGT
                                                                                                     has embraced the opportunity to augment its
                                                  In 2015, the Journal of Commerce in the US         services. There is ample evidence to suggest
                                                  ranked SAGT as no 1 for terminal productivity      that technology can greatly improve the
                                                  in the South Asian region and the fourth most      efficiency of maritime operations. Currently,
                                                  productive efficient terminal in the world.        shipping goods from a manufacturer to
                                                                                                     a consumer involves many stakeholders:
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