East Container Terminal to be operated 100% by Sri Lanka Ports Authority – Prime Minister

The East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port will be operated 100% by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said today.

He said that the relevant Cabinet paper will be submitted today.

The PM assured of this during a discussion held today (01) with the representatives of port trade unions.

The collective of trade unions at the Colombo Port had resorted to trade union action, such as a work-to-rule campaign, opposing any moves to hand over control and ownership of the ECT to any foreign country.

The Prime Minister had assured yesterday that the ECT will not be handed over to a foreign country or company while a meeting was held this morning (01) at Temple Trees between trade union leaders and the PM to discuss the matter.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Government had no intention or plans to sell or lease out any section of the ECT to foreign countries, and that its operations will be solely conducted by the SLPA.

“Moreover, the report submitted by Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena on this matter articulates that the foreign countries did not agree to the terms and conditions imposed by the Sri Lankan Government,” the Premier highlighted.

“I will make sure that the decisions taken during the discussion will not be confined to words but carried out accordingly,” he said.