The Diploma Certificate Award Ceremony for 35 employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) who successfully completed the course of Port Management Diploma was held recently at the Mahapola Ports & Maritime Academy of SLPA. This was the second batch of the Port Management Diploma Course.
Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva was the Chief Guest of the event.
The Minister said that he remembered the late minister Lalith Athulathmudali as he entered the Mahapola Ports & Maritime Academy. The Minister also said that he likes to recall the late minister with gratitude for his indelible service to the port and shipping sector and the steps he took to fulfil the overseas expectations and career aspirations of the children of the nation by creating the ‘Mahapola Concept’ and constructing the Mahapola Ports & Maritime Academy of SLPA.
“It is a matter of great pleasure for me to appreciate all of you who receive certificates as Diploma Holders today. A country’s resources are not just physical but also its human resource that is considered the most valuable of all.
“I was listening to what was said here about a ‘System Change,’ something I also prefer to take place. However, my belief is that there is no way of changing the system by misusing the youth and their potential either at street protests or misled political projects. The real system change takes place only when today’s young generation is empowered politically and socio-economically in the right way. Despite encouraging yourselves towards system changes that devoid of its true objectives, I request you all who become valuable diploma holders today to stand for a real system change that makes a worthy cause to see the reality. You can initiate this from this institution itself and I believe that it should take place from the Top to bottom. Assuming duties as the Subject Minister, I could change the long stood traditional system of this intuition. I have not appointed my relatives or associates for the posts of this institution but only professionals in each sector. However, only a very few talks of that system change I made here. We apparently need a change and in such a way, if these institutions are to operate in a productive and efficient manner.
“I was also listening to what were said here on the research theses done by the Diploma Holders. I would request the SLPA to take measures to publish them and make them available for the reference at local and international Universities, research institutes and ports of the world. Only then, the true value and cause of the Diploma is revealed. We can also include innovative proposals, concepts and principles in these research thesis for an effective and strategic ‘System Change’ in the SLPA,” the Minister said.
K.D.S.Ruwan Chandra, Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Services, Gayan Algewattage, Vice Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Managing Director Upul Jayatissa, Chief Training Manager of Mahapola Port and Maritime Aviation, S.H. Patmini and Mahmehuda Kelaniya were present. Senior Lecturer of the University Dr. Wickramasinghe, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Managing Directors, Heads of Divisions, Executive Officers, employees, family members and union representatives were also present.
