Hambantota Port begins, citizens remain in the dark

Monday, 3 April 2017 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hambantota Port has been talked about for many months under the present Government, about sale or lease and loan swap and so on, followed by a one page advertisement in ST 26 March as a message from the Government but the public remains in darkness. Neither the Government nor the media has made things clear to the people unfortunately. This one page could have carried important salient terms in the Agreement for information rather than making a show piece using tax payers’ money.

The said advertisement states that because of the huge loan taken to construct the Port our generation and future generations will be responsible in settling the debt. But is it reasonable and justifiable to sign a 99 year lease agreement with a private party to hand over the assets built with the loan which is again tying down our generation and future generations without their consent but decision made by a few politicians.

The initiative to convert the Port into a fully functional and profitable international port like the Colombo Port is credit worthy but is the procedure and process adopted with lack of transparency acceptable? Not so. This process seems to have gone for about two years but the questions asked about the total valuation including vast extent of land apart from the loan amount (Ports Authority had paid several millions of rupees for land acquisition) , revenue stream to the Ports Authority, how was loan repayment of about $ 220 million made by the Ports Authority from Colombo earnings accounted, how a 99 year period was accepted and was it after examination/evaluation of the complete Business Plan, termination clause and hand back value and so on.

Many articles, debates, protests were seen and some trade union protests are continuing. I presented some of these issues in article in ST 29 January 2017. But unfortunately neither the Government nor the media has been able to present a clear view of the true contents of the so called final Agreement for the benefit of the people of this country who elected this Government. Sad state.

D. Godage.