Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-09-27

Construction of a Quay at Naval Dockyard - Trincomalee

- Due to the terrorist activities which prevailed in the past, the Trincomalee harbour which is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world and the second deepest in Asia, could not be properly developed. The largest base of the Sri Lanka Navy is located in this harbour and the naval dockyard situated there is the home to the Eastern Naval Command and the Maritime Academy of Sri Lanka. Although the construction work of a quay at the naval dockyard had been commenced in the year 1990 to provide berthing facilities for larger vessels, the said construction work has been subsequently suspended due to various reasons. Since action is being taken by the Sri Lanka Navy to acquire four (04) larger vessels during the period of 2017-2019 to expand the patrolling of the Sri Lankan territorial waters, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Defence, to recommence the construction work of the proposed quay, with a length of 220m and a width of 20m, and an access bridge, in order to provide berthing facilities for such larger vessels at the naval dockyard in Trincomalee, was approved by the Cabinet.