Port City suspension was in country's interest - Wijayadasa Rajapakshe

by Manjula Fernando

The suspension of the Port City project was in the country's interest and nothing else, Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe said dismissing criticism by ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the move was part of domestic politics to tarnish his image.

The former President, whose political allies are planning a possible comeback for him at the upcoming parliamentary elections after April this year, met foreign journalists in his hometown, Tangalle recently where he made this accusation.

Denying allegations that he is pro-China, the former President said his aim was to develop Sri Lanka and the only country which had the inclination and resources to assist him, was China.

The Justice Minister said the project proposal violated the country's law including the Environment laws.

It has obtained no Environment Impact Assessment report, no clear idea on land transfer, no clear assurances on security concerns among other things.

The China funded Port City project, which aspires to build an offshore city on 230 hectares of reclaimed land came under heavy flak for lack of transparency and the arbitrary manner in which it had been initiated. The project will give one-third of the reclaimed land to the Chinese investor outright and over 100 hectares on a 99 year lease, another factor that has been deemed as shortsighted.

Stopping this project was one of the key election promises of the then Opposition and when the new Government seemed to delay the suspension of the project until a proper study is carried out, the environmental groups a week ago took to the streets demanding the immediate halt of the project claiming it was a threat to sustainable development.

China's new Ambassador to Colombo, Yi Xianliang, said the Port City project, President Xi Jinping inaugurated last year would create 83,000 jobs.

He said, "It will be of great significance for Sri Lanka's economic development, attracting foreign investments and promoting local tourism."

The land reclamation part of the project is 100 percent funded by or funded on finances raised by the Hong Kong listed China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) with no financial commitment on the part of the government.

When the land filling is over, only two-thirds of the re-claimed land will be handed over to the Government for development on foreign or local investments.

Work on the project came to a standstill since March 6 and the workers hired for land filling work that commenced last September are protesting against the decision.