Chinese multinational denies environmental issues in $ 1.4 b port city project
Monday, 22 December 2014 00:00
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Xinhua: The Chinese multinational spearheading Sri Lanka’s largest investment of a $ 1.4 billion port city insisted all environmental protections are in place, an official said on Saturday, after the Opposition threatened to scrap it.
Sri Lanka’s main Opposition United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told a gathering of tourist industry professionals this week that if his side carries the day at the presidential elections on 8 January the port city project would be cancelled.
He claimed it threatens the environmentally sensitive western coastline of the island.
Wickremesinghe is backing common candidate Maithripala Sirisena, who was incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s health minister before he crossed over.
If Sirisena wins, a new coalition government would be formed with Wickremesinghe as the prime minister.
In response the China Harbor Engineering Group, which is carrying out the construction of the port city, has insisted all environmental standards will be upheld.
Chinese companies in Sri Lanka pay great importance to the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Protection under the instruction of Chinese Government, it stressed.
As early as in 2010, Sri Lanka Ports Authority authorised local Moratuwa University to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment for Port City project and a report was submitted to the Sri Lanka Government in April 2011, a top official added.
Thereafter, the project was generally approved in November 2013, and finally ratified in October 2014 by the Sri Lankan Government.
“Environment protection ran through every step and whole process of the implementation of Port City project,” Zhang Xiaoqiang, General Manager of China Harbor Engineering Group Ltd. told Xinhua.
All the investment for the project comes from the China Communication Construction Company Ltd., which is the parent company of the China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd.
“The project is expected to be completed in eight years and will enrich the municipal function of Colombo, promote employment, push forward the development of related industries and improve the competitiveness of the Sri Lanka economy,” he said.
Under the agreement the company will own 170 hectares from the total 233 hectare land area.
According to the Cabinet paper approved in November 2013, the Sri Lankan Government will receive the remaining acres, which will be used to attract investors.
Known to be the single largest investment project in Sri Lanka, the port city will also have Sri Lanka’s first 100-story skyscraper under Phase II of its work. This phase would include the construction of hotels, shopping malls, a golf course as well as a F1 track.
The Sri Lankan Government expects to attract investment exceeding $ 5 billion once the port city is completed.
