PM says no decision to hand over ECT to foreign company

By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday that no decision had been made to hand over the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port or part of it to a foreign entity, or involve a foreign venture in managing it.

Responding to a question raised by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Prime Minister said that ECT would be developed by the government and no decision had been made so far to hand it over to a foreign company.

The PM said that the yahapalana government had inked an agreement over the ECT without involving the Ministry of Ports and Naval Affairs.

That agreement had been signed by the then Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade with the Indian government.

The Prime Minister said the then government of Sri Lankan had reached an agreement with India and Japan as well.

The Phase 05 of the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) had been delayed, and therefore to meet the growing demand at the Colombo Port three gantry cranes had been moved from there to ECT, said the Prime Minister.