H'tota port sale agreement with China: NFF wants deal scrapped

9 December 2016 03:38 am

The National Freedom Front (NFF) yesterday urged the Secretary to the Ports and Shipping Ministry to refrain from signing the agreement to sell the Hambantota Port to a Chinese company which was scheduled to be signed yesterday and warned him of the consequences, threatening that he would be the first person answerable before the FCID when a new government comes to power.

Addressing a media briefing, NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa said the government was in a mission to sell off a valuable national resource to the China Merchants Holdings Company and added that it would directly affect the future generations of the country.

“The Hambantota Port was constructed at a total expense of USD 1,691 million by the former government and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. After signing the agreement 80 per cent of the port would be owned by the China Merchants Holdings Company and only 20 per cent of it would be owned by Sri Lanka,” he added.

He said China Merchants Holdings Company had expressed intention to own the Hambantota Port on a 99 years lease by paying USD 1080 million as a down payment to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, he said the Ports and Shipping Minister, the port authority Chairman and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s Board of Directors were against this move.

“Therefore, the government made their way to move ahead with this agreement with China by presenting a cabinet paper, offering the Secretary to the Ports and Shipping Ministry with the powers to sign the agreement,” he added.

He said the country’s economy would also be at risk with this step and added that it would be a competitive threat to the Colombo Harbour. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)