Colombo Port City is set to become a federal state: SJB

By Yohan Perera 

Colombo Port City is set to become a federal state as per the legislation that has been designed to set up an authority to administer it, an SJB MP said yesterday. 
SJB MP Kabir Hashim told a press conference that finances of the Port City Authority will not come under Parliament. 

“All Financial matters come under Parliament as per the constitution. However, the Commission which will administer the Colombo Port City will not come under the legislature. Therefore it will become like a federal state,” Mr. Hashim said. 

“President will be given the power to appoint five members to the authority. Therefore, the entire reclaimed land of Colombo Port City will be under this five member commission through a crown grant,” he added. 

“It was the previous government which managed to convert the outright sale 440 hectares of land into a 99-year lease. This was a painstaking exercise as we had to go for diplomatic dialogue with China to achieve it,” he also said. 

On a different note, the MP said he cannot comment anything about the remarks made by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on former President Maithripala Sirisena. 
SJB MP Hector Appuhamy who is a Catholic said Cardinal Ranjith did not refer to former President Sirisena alone but to others as well. “Cardinal comes up with similar sentiments when he talks with us,” MP Appuhamy said.