Sri Lanka Ports Authority (also abbreviated SLPA) is a government agency

Port authority

In Canada and the United States a port authority is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure.Port authorities are usually governed by boards or...

 responsible for the development and maintenance of all commercial ports in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. It is also responsible for the maintenance and operations of lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

s in Sri Lanka. Security of ports is governed by the Navy, as it is the designated authority for implementing ISPFS Code in Sri Lanka.

History

The SLPA was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1979 to govern all specified commercial Ports in Sri Lanka. The specified ports now includes the Port of Colombo, Galle Harbour

Galle

Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....

, Trincomalee Harbour

Trincomalee

Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

, Kankasanturai Harbour and Point Pedro Harbour. The Port of Colombo being the main port in the country, has naturally become the focal point of the all port development activities in Sri Lanka since the formation of the SLPA. However, as a consequent of the Government policy to develop the regional areas in the country, the SLPA attaches equal emphasis on the development of other ports, including the new Hambantota Harbour.

Goals of the authority

• Development and maintenance of all commercial ports of Sri Lanka
• Maintenance of effective and efficient port services
• Maintenance of high productivity levels in order to ensure speedy turnaround of vessels
• Maintenance of a competitive edge to importers and exporters by ensuring a cost effective, efficient and reliable service
• Maintenance of port security and port infrastructure
• Maintenance of a conducive working environment for all stakeholders
• To raise funds to the General Treasury for infrastructure development in the Health
  Health in Sri Lanka
  -Hospitals:There are 555 government hospitals in Sri Lanka, in addaiation to several hospitals treating according to the Ayurvedic system.-Medical schools:* College of community physicians* Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo...
  
  , Education
  Education in Sri Lanka
  Education in Sri Lanka has a long history which dates back two millennia and the Constitution of Sri Lanka provide for education as a fundamental right. The Sri Lanka's population has a literacy rate of 92%, higher than that expected for a third world country; it has the highest literacy rate in...
  
   and Transport sectors