War premium on vessels docking at port

Though the USA says that the Colombo Port has the highest security in the world, not so international re-insurers, who charge a war risk premium on vessels docking at the Colombo Port, a shipper and an academic said.
Rohan Masakorala, Course Director, Academy for International Trade & Transport quoted a US Customs officer last Saturday who said that two US Coast Guard officers had deemed that the Colombo Port had the highest security in the world at a seminar in Colombo. After the Colombo Airport was attacked by the terrorists in July 2001, international re-insurers have begun levying a surcharge on all ships and planes entering the Colombo sea-port and airport..
Masakorala further told The Sunday Leader that the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), the apex body of the country's apparel industry, has impressed upon the government, of the importance of implementing e-commerce among all state sector bodies, including that of Customs.
Apparel exports are Sri Lanka's single biggest foreign exchange earner. Masakorala is also JAAF Deputy Secretary General.
Masakorala who was one of the speakers at a seminar on the USA's Container Security Initiative (CSI), made this statement, after The Sunday Leader queried from him that one of the chief concerns of US Customs is that Sri Lanka Customs still processes their documents manually.
"Deadlines have been set for state agencies to convert their operations to ecommerce before the year end," Masakorala, who declined to give further details said.