Ramalingum Maistry | Immediate Past Chairman, Mauritius Ports Authority
Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.
Mr. Ramalingum Maistry is a high-ranking professional who held senior positions in the road construction sector from 1986 to 2006. He was appointed Chairman of the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) in February 2015.
Prior to joining the MPA, Mr. Maistry was Mayor of the Municipality of Beau Bassin / Rose Hill in 2008. He then took over the chairmanship of the Tourism Fund which operated under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism and External Communications from 2006 to 2011.He also chaired Discover Mauritius, a public company from 2008 to 2009.
Mr. Maistry subsequently served as Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment in 2011, and held the same position to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development from 2011 to 2014.
Mr. Ramalingum Maistry was elected as International Ambassador of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) of the United Kingdom in 2018.
Mr. Maistry’s journey at the MPA was very fruitful and empowering and his continuous dedication is reflected in the completion of various projects that were realized under his stewardship.
PORT LOUIS HARBOUR ON THE THRESHOLD OF A BRIGHT NEW ERA
Strategically situated on the world major shipping routes, Port Louis Harbour, the country’s only commercial port, is due to undergo a significant transformation in the short and medium term. Port Louis Harbour has emerged during the past 52 years as a modern port with a high degree of mechanization and sophistication.
Strong trade growth through Port Louis Harbour during the last six years, combined with expenditure control, resulted in substantially improved financial performance, particularly in regard to profit and return on assets. Not withstanding the impact of the Covid-19, the MPA realised a comfortable net surplus of Rs 514.7 million in 2019/2020. In the same vein, the MPA registered an increase in its total operating revenue to the tune of Rs. 1,488.7 million in FY 2019/2020 as compared to Rs. 1464.5 million during FY 2018/2019. On the other hand, the MPA also realised an increase in the net non-operating income to the tune of Rs. 281.4 million representing an increase of 19.8% as compared to Rs 235 million in FY2018/2019.
The financial outlook of the MPA looks very promising with a strong net asset base of Rs. 23 billion as at 30 June 2020. The total asset value was to the tune of Rs. 25.4 billion at the end of June 2020 compared to Rs. 25.3 billion in FY 2018/19. The increase in the total asset value was mainly attributable to the cash surplus invested in deposit accounts as at 30 June 2020.
From 2015 onwards, the MPA realised major achievements in the pursuance of its core mission to support the country’s sustainable economic development through investments in state-of-the- art port infrastructures. To meet the exigencies of the fast growing port sector in terms of competitiveness and attractiveness, the MPA, with the collaboration of its stakeholders, is fully committed to keep on investing in the upgrading and modernizing of the port infrastructure coupled with a constant improvement in service delivery so as to make Port Louis a modern harbour in the Indian Ocean.
Just to name a few additional projects which were completed during the mandate of Mr Maistry:
- Strengthening and extension of the MCT quays (including deepening of the access channel and enlargement of the stacking area) at the cost Rs 6.5 billion;
- Procurement of one Azimuth propulsion and tractor tug of 70 tons’ bollard pull for the total sum of Rs 402 million;
- Remedial works to the mechanical and electrical installations at the Oil Jetty at the total price of Rs 83 million;
- Replacement of the faulty pipelines at the Oil Jetty at the cost of Rs 9 million with a view to ensuring safety of operations at the Jetty;
- Corrosion protection to quay structures at Port Louis Harbour at the contract price of Rs 59 million (USD 1,498,630.00);
- Upgrading of the Capitainerie Building at Port Louis Harbour at the cost of Rs 68,000,645;
- Procurement of two Fire Fighting Vehicles at the total price of Rs 35 million
Today the port stands at the threshold of yet another exciting chapter in its colourful and vibrant history and plans are well in hand to transform Port Louis into a maritime hub for the region. It is set to become a magnet for foreign investment as well as a transshipment platform for the entire Indian Ocean. Port Louis has the capacity to sustain cargo volumes from a mainline call by 4th generation containerships.
The implementation of the Port Master Plan 2017 corresponds to the Government’s thrust to stimulate greater asset utilization through the ongoing port expansion and modernization programme. In doing so, the MPA adequately meets the increasing needs of cargo operations and cruise shipping, including homeporting. Leasing lands at the port also enabled the Authority to leverage on private port projects to support the development of Port Louis Harbour in its bid to become a regional maritime gateway.
Additionally, the MPA remained steadfast in its commitment to making a meaningful contribution to the economic growth and development of the country while ensuring sustainable, productive, efficient and financially viable operations. The MPA have recorded sustained growth over the past five years in all business sectors: cruise segment, transhipment segment, captive container segment and fishing segment. International trade remains truly the engine of the world economy. With the deepening of the navigation channel and the extension of the container berths and container stacking area, Port Louis Harbour increased its competitiveness and achieved record transshipment figures. The number of containers has jumped with an increase of 19.1% in recent years.
CONSOLIDATING THE FISHING SECTOR
The MPA is playing an important part in consolidating the seafood sector by helping to attract investors and creating additional employment in that sector. Seafood activities have significant potential for growth and development, particularly considering that available port infrastructure is generally sufficient to support further growth. Port Louis Harbour has modern logistics facilities including state-of-the-art cold rooms and processing units as well as fishing quays and other port related services.
There is a window of opportunity to reposition Port Louis as a new frontier for seafood development projects through more flexible and attractive public private partnership programmes. The MPA has embarked on a project to construct a breakwater to provide a tranquil basin to shelter ocean going fishing vessels and a safe haven for mooring of the vessels during adverse weather. The project will also include the construction of a fishing port at Fort William.
The facility will comprise a quay wall of about 50m long equipped with the marine furniture (fenders, bollards, navigational aids) and all other facilities which may be required to service the ocean going vessels and their fishing equipment as appropriate. A basin will accordingly be dredged alongside the quay so as to allow safe navigation of the ocean going fishing vessels. The consultants have completed the preliminary planning studies and are presently engaged in the detailed design of the preferred development option. The proposed fishing new state of the art port installations will revamp the containerization activities at Port Louis Harbour and the creation of the Riche Terre Logistics Industrial Park near the port area will give a new competitive edge to boost up the seafood hub concept within the region.
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