Make H'tota, Mattala viable

The Hambantota Port and the Mattala International Airport are a colossal loss to the country as there were no proper research and consultation before embarking on these projects, Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics (CILT) Chairman Niral Kadawatharatchie said.

He said that if these projects along with some of the other mega development projects launched by the previous government were done with proper feasibility studies and expert consultation it would have been commercially viable and beneficial to the country.

“Today the port project in the South is not commercially viable and it is a huge loss to the country. However, we cannot allow them to lie idle. We will present a business model for these projects to make them viable and give a return on investment,” Kadawatharatchie said.

He said that the CILT was not consulted in carrying out the projects. The CILT, set up in 1919, is a global professional body associated with logistics and transportation. The Hambantota port, a services and industrial port is built in one of the lowest per capita income regions in the country which is also the home town of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The objective was that it would be a catalyst for a major economic development in Sri Lanka and reduce the high unemployment rate in the region. The estimated cost of the initial phase of the project is US $ 361 million.

"Ports cannot be built anywhere just because we are an island. The logistical feasibility has to be looked into. A port in Trincomalee is good for bulk cargo and not for container handling,” Kadawatharatchie said.

"Logistics service providers hailed the construction of the Colombo South Harbour expansion project which will help position the country as a mega port in the region that could cater to large vessels.

The container through-put has increased in Colombo and we are confident this year the volume will rise further," they said. CILT Secretary Nujjith Samarawickrama said that several rounds of discussions have taken place among members of CILT regarding the Hambantota port.

"We hope to make representations to officials to make the project viable," he said.

Regarding roads and highways the logistics providers said they are not happy as a staggering amount has been spent on some of the projects which could have been used to construct more highways. Work on the Kandy and the Colombo Outer Circular Highway should be completed for a better transportation system.

The policy of the Government for the past decade has been to rehabilitate the road infrastructure to keep pace with the rapid increase in traffic volume.

The construction of highways linking key cities has been hailed by the business community as essential for effective transportation and logistics in the country.

He said the Colombo Port City project is a good move which needs to go ahead to gain economic benefits but its adverse effects should be looked into.

"We need political stability for development. Today, no one is certain of the political situation in the country," Samarawickrama said.

 - LF