Govt. has misled public and trade unions on ECT: SJB

SJB Parliamentarians J. C. Alawathuwala and Manusha Nanayakkara addressing the media yesterday 

• Says Cabinet this week gave approval for ECT to be developed with Indian investment

By Asiri Fernando

The main Opposition yesterday accused the Government of misleading the public, Parliament and trade unions by allowing Indian investment in the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port, following a Cabinet decision earlier this week. 

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian J. C. Alawathuwala speaking to reporters charged that the Government had done a U-turn on a promise given to the public and trade unions not to allow India to develop the ECT prior to the Parliamentary Elections in August. He was joined by SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara. 

“In the lead up to the elections, the Government promised the public that it would not sell off public assets to foreign entities. When the Port trade unions launched a strike, the Prime Minister summoned them to his home in Hambantota and promised them that the ECT would not be sold to the Indians. During the Budget speech, we were told in Parliament that there were no plans to sell the ECT. However, this week the Cabinet has approved the proposal. The Government has clearly misled public and trade unions on this matter,” Alawathuwala charged.

Alawathuwala argued that the Government was returning to the pre-2015 practice of selling off national infrastructure and valuable public property to foreign entities, citing the recent approval to lease a three-acre plot in the Colombo central business district to a foreign company. 

“We can clearly see that what the Government promised was clearly to mislead them during the election,” Alawathuwala claimed, pointing out that the present Government criticised the former United National Party (UNP) led administration of selling national assets but had begun to do the same.