CHEC responds to govt’s remarks on Port City Project

The China Harbour Engineering Company responding to recent remarks by the Government on the Port City Project said it intend to observe due process as required by the Laws of the country to obtain final endorsement from the government.

“We appreciate the confidence and the endorsement of the Honorable Finance Minister on our project. As you know, our SEIA is going through public consultation at the moment and the consultation period ends in mid-January. We will then ensure that all queries raised are addressed satisfactorily before proceeding to obtain final endorsement from the government. As a responsible corporate citizen of Sri Lanka, we intend to observe due process as required by the Laws of the country,” a senior official attached to the CHEC said in a statement.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake earlier said that the Sri Lankan government is prepared give the go-ahead for the Colombo Port City project to resume even tomorrow, if the Chinese company agrees to begin the US$1.4 billion project on a 99-year lease.

The project, planned on 233 hectares of reclaimed land in Colombo, was launched by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Chinese President Xi Jinping on 17 September 2014.

Construction was carried out by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC), a subsidiary of state-controlled China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), which is financing the project.