H’tota port deal: no delay, hope to finalise within Jan.- Malik

Rejecting reports that there was a delay in signing agreements with the China Merchant Port Holdings over the Hambantota port, Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama said yesterday that they hoped to finalise and sign agreements in January.

He said the government has never said that it would enter into agreement with the Chinese Company to handover 80 per cent of the joint firm of the port on January 7. Minister Samarawickrama said it was the Southern Development Programme which would be launched on January 7.

“There are three agreements to be signed to finalise the deal. The Cabinet approval was given only to the framework. We have yet to sign the joint venture agreement with the company, the lease agreement with the Ports authority and then the concession agreement between the company and the government. There is a lengthy process and discussions and we need to make sure that we get the full benefit out of these agreements,” he told a news conference jointly held with Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake at the Finance Ministry.

Minister Samarawickrama also said there was no truth in reports that the agreements have been postponed due to the objection of President Maithripala Sirisena. He said the President had not opposed to the agreement and instructed to come in to an agreement which has full benefit to the country. (Lahiru Pothmulla and Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by Danushka

Pix by Pradeep Pathirana