March 04, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s controversial Chinese funded Colombo port city project has been temporarily suspended due to pending of an investigative report on the issue, Island’s Investment Promotion Minister said today.
Investment promotion minister Kabir Hashim told LBO that the project approval has been violated the country’s law.
“For now it seems a breach of law. Ports authority who has involved in this project doesn’t have the power to undertake a mixed development project like this,”
“It seems that Sri Lanka will have to incur a huge loss if we come across any issue. So the whole project is being reviewed and we have instructed them to suspend work,” Hashim further stressed.
The government has appointed a cabinet sub committee headed by the Prime Minister to review the project owing to the allegations of violating the country’s law.
The committee will receive observations from attorney general, environment authority, ports ministry, board of investment and finance ministry before reaching a final determination.
Hashim added that an investigative report will also be made available in several weeks.