Lease agreement on Hambantota Port properties and common facilities approved by Cabinet

By Chathuri Dissanayake

As the concessions agreement to form the Public-Private Partnership with China Merchants Port (CM Port) Holdings Ltd. to manage the Hambantota Port came into effect from last week, the Government this week gave the green light to implement the lease agreements signed to allow access of port properties and common user facilities, Cabinet Co-spokesman Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka said yesterday. 

According to the concession agreement signed with CM Port, the site lease agreement has to be executed in respect of the port property and common user facilities in favour of the Hambantota International Port Group Ltd. and Hambantota International Port Services Company Ltd, Minister Karunatihlaka told journalists at the weekly Cabinet briefing. 

The lease agreement related to this was approved by the Government this week. 

Presenting the agreement to Cabinet this week, Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe obtained approval from the Government to execute the lease agreements and to instruct all relevant state bodies to assist, facilitate and implement the condition precedents in the agreement.