The Sri Lanka Logistics and Freight Forwarders’ Association (SLFFA) held its 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo, where new office bearers were elected for the 2026/2027 term.
The AGM was attended by Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilaka as the Chief Guest, while Ports and Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary W.W.S. Mangala participated as the Guest of Honour.
MAC Supply Chain Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd Managing Director Andre Fernando was elected Chairman of the SLFFA for 2026/2027. He will be supported by Foreway Logistics Managing Director Shavindra Dias, who was elected Vice Chairman, and Scanwell Logistics Colombo Director Priyan Seilman, who was elected Treasurer.
The newly elected Executive Committee includes representatives from leading logistics companies, including Aitken Spence Cargo (Pvt.) Ltd, David Pieris Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd, Expolanka Freight (Pvt.) Ltd, Famous Pacific Shipping Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Freight Links International (Pte) Ltd, GAC Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd, Salota International (Pvt.) Ltd, Shermans Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd and Speedmark Transportation Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd.
The new leadership reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening industry collaboration and supporting the continued development of Sri Lanka’s logistics and freight forwarding sector.
Addressing the gathering, the association outlined a strategic roadmap focused on ‘fast-tracking Colombo to be the next cargo hub’ by expanding the city’s role beyond traditional transshipment activities towards becoming a fully integrated regional logistics hub.
Among the proposed initiatives is the development of sea-air multimodal bonded corridors offering 24-to-48-hour connections, aimed at enabling Colombo to compete more effectively with established international cargo hubs.
To accommodate growing trade volumes, the SLFFA highlighted ongoing and planned infrastructure developments at Bandaranaike International Airport, as well as the East and West Container Terminals at the Port of Colombo.
SLFFA Cargo Services has also submitted a proposal to invest in less-than-container-load (LCL) cargo and multi-country consolidation facilities under a private-sector investment initiative led by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
The association also highlighted several milestones achieved during the past year in trade digitalisation and financial governance.
As part of its digital infrastructure initiatives, the SLFFA launched ASYHUB in collaboration with Sri Lanka Customs to accelerate processing and facilitate information sharing.
In the area of paperless trade and professional development, the association implemented digital delivery order validations through the NAVIS system, trained more than 650 industry professionals and submitted a digital transformation report to government policymakers advocating for the adoption of electronic bills of lading.
The SLFFA also continued to safeguard the interests of its members through its work on the Cargo Account Settlement System (CASS). In addition, it launched a centralised SLFFA Debtor Database to encourage disciplined credit management among its membership of more than 180 companies.
The association reiterated the importance of continuous workforce development through its dedicated training division, the Academy of International Trade and Transport (AITT), which supports professional development within the logistics and freight forwarding sector.
Beyond its industry and business initiatives, the SLFFA continues to support social responsibility programmes. These include assistance for paediatric operating facilities at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, support for the Arthur Perera Elders’ Home and a Rs.3.2 million contribution to the Rebuild Sri Lanka initiative.
The newly elected leadership and Executive Committee will continue to work towards strengthening Sri Lanka’s freight forwarding and logistics industry, promoting greater collaboration across the sector and advancing the interests of SLFFA members.
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