Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
Tuesday, 6 August 2013 00:29 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Emphasising that the Government has made massive investments in infrastructure development, President Rajapaksa also said: “While the numbers are big we have taken steps to do so not by thinking of today but by thinking about the future of the country.”
The breakwater for the CICT was funded by the Asian Development Bank ($ 300 million) and $ 100 million from SLPA and CPC, whilst CICT, in which China Merchant Harbour International owns an 85% stake, is investing $ 500 million for three stages. The first stage inaugurated yesterday has a capacity of 2.4 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) and comprises a deepwater terminal with 18 metres depth and 12 quay cranes that can accommodate the latest breed of 18,000 TEUs carrying ships. The first of such ships, French giant CMA CGA's Pegasus, was handled yesterday. The CPEP envisages Colombo Port’s capacity to be expanded to 7.2 million TEUs.
After officiating at multiple ceremonies, the President said as an island, to uplift Sri Lanka’s positioning on an international scale, it is important to follow a development plan with ports at its heart, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.
To reap utmost advantage of Sri Lanka’s unique location, the country must master the waves of the ocean. “Hence the inclusion of a maritime hub in my five-hub development project,” President Rajapaksa said.
Commenting on the overall port development that is currently ongoing in Sri Lanka, he noted that the Ruhunu Magampura Historical Port has been completed while the Trincomalee Port is still under development. “The Oluvil Port will be opened next month and work is almost complete at the Kankasanthurai Port. The Galle Port is also being developed.”
Reflecting that the country’s development was anchored at one point as the country’s leaders concentrated on saving the port and ships that came in from the grasp of the terrorists, he noted that Sri Lanka lost much time in progressing alongside neighbouring countries. The country is now back on track and is moving fast to catch up with its peers.
However, confident that terrorism would be wiped out, the Government took the necessary steps to enter into agreements and create a forward plan for the development of the ports in 2005, he said. “We have now built world class infrastructure and its benefits are trickling down to the people.”
“The Anuradhapura Kingdom was not built in a day, nor did people reap benefits of the Kala Wewa in a day. The International Airport did not show great results as it was built and opened. We cannot work with a short-term perspective. This is the wonder of development.”
Admitting that the country needs to obtain loans to keep development going, the President emphasised that this was imperative in preparing the country for the future generations. “If we don’t have the money to build, we have to go for loans. Forgetting these developments due to the lack of funds is not an answer; we must do this for the future.”
He added that there was a time when we had to take loans to eat bread as we had to import flour. Now however this has been stopped and instead loans are taken for development purposes. “Those who asked for support to buy flour to feed the people are the same ones who now call on us asking to show expenses, etc.”
Over and above the development of the ports, the Government has not forgotten to expand its growth policies on the road network, health and education, power and energy and other sectors across the island, covering both rural and urban cities and villages. “We are one of Asia’s fastest growing counties. We are well on our way to become the Wonder of Asia.”
