JO faults Govt. for leasing H’tota port without tenders

The Joint Opposition (JO) yesterday slammed the Government for deciding to lease the Hambantota Port to Chinese company, China Merchants Port Holding Company Limited (CMPort) without calling clear tenders.

Speaking to media JO MP Dullas Alahapperuma said that the Government had acted in contravention of the United National Party (UNP)’s manifesto which pledged to only implement development projects via a transparent tender process. 

“President Maithripala Sirisena and the UNP both promised the public that they will only implement development projects with transparency, but they have signed a Framework Agreement with CMPort to lease the Hambantota Port for 99 years. Therefore we could say the Government has violated their own promises,” he claimed.

Alahapperuma added the Chinese Government had agreed to lease the Hambantota Port for around $ 1.1 billion without conducting a proper valuation to estimate the true worth of the asset. 

“If we calculated the total value of the land and the buildings of the port, apparently it will cost about $ 2.5 billion, but the Government had leased it for a lesser value. However we would like to ask them how an alleged ‘white elephant’ was valued this much,” he said.

Condemning the clash that took place between the Navy Commander and a journalist at the port premises last weekend, Alahapperuma said they absolutely regret the reaction of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Media Ministry regarding the incident.

“Wickremesinghe and the Director General of Information have accepted the Navy Commander’s behavior and they have passed the ball to the victimised journalist. It showed how media freedom is practiced under the Yahapalana Government,” he charged.

Meanwhile, MP Keheliya Rambukwella told media that the Government has to reveal the person who directed the Navy to intervene in the protest conducted by employees of the Hambantota Port last week, if it was not President Sirisena. 

Rabukwella also alleged that top heads of Government would stand to gain $ 100 million in commissions via the Hambantota project. 

“That is why the Government is in such a hurry to sign the MoU with CMPort to lease the port,” he claimed. (CG)