Sri Lanka’s Port City project to be reviewed: Investment Promotion

Jan 16, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s port city project has to be fully reviewed due to its location at a high security zone , Minister of Investment Promotion said today. "We cannot have land given on freehold basis to another country in a high security zone and that is right in between the two main ports."

The Port city is to be constructed between the Southern edge of the new Colombo South Port and the Fort Lighthouse. The total area of sea to be reclaimed is 252 hectares. There will be a 3.25km long breakwater and a large internal artificial canal in the city.

Hashim said that there is no right for the port authority to involve in multi-complex project as port city but to deal with port and shipping.

"There's been an absolute lack of transparency there,"

"The implementing authority is the ports authority,"

"Rightly speaking the ports authority does not have the mandate to do that. It should have gone through the ministry of finance. It should have come through the correct process,"

"The ports authority is an authority. It has no right to get involved in a multi-complex project. Its mandate is to deal with ports and shipping,"