The government has to enter into an agreement with China for the development and completion of the next stage of the Hambantota Port because it could not raise the investment of $ 600 million needed for it on its own, said Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister and UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera. He said, however, steps would be taken to ensure that this agreement would not create any adverse impact on Sri Lanka.
He said this amount needed to be invested if the section of port already completed was to be utilised for port operations. Now there was a proposal to reduce the term of the lease from 198 to 99 years and discussions were on to seek the possibility of a further reduction of the lease term. Amaraweera stated this when he called on the Malwatte and Asgiriya prelates at their respective temples in Kandy and received their blessings yesterday.
Amaraweera who was accompanied by Minister and SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake and Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, said $ 600 million amounted to a little over half the investment already made on the Hambantota Port construction work.
The earlier stipulation in the agreement was that Sri Lanka should pay China the full value of the port if it was to take over its ownership after 99 years. Discussions were also necessary to seek further concessions on these terms of payment too.
He said the SLFP had never deviated from its stand of opposing privatisation or sale, but certain people were carrying out false propaganda against the party for political gain.
He said President Sirisena had categorically stated that the pre-eminent position given to Buddhism would be retained in any new Constitution and that foreign judges would not be allowed to sit in a local panel investigating human rights violations. The guarantee given by the President about the Hambantota Port too was now taking shape and he would request people to believe the President's word.
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