The suspended Colombo Port City project in Sri Lanka is likely to resume, said Sun Ziyu, vice-president of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), at a conference in Macao on 4 June.
Sun is confident that the project, which was suspended in March, would continue.
In a proposal submitted by Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the cabinet on 27 May has approved the appointment of a new committee chaired by the secretary to the prime minister to examine the possibility of continuing the construction of the port city.
The Sri Lankan government said it wants to continue with the Chinese-funded USD1.4 billion project after rectifying the lapses and procedural shortcomings. The government put the project on hold on 5 March, citing a lack of transparency during the project’s approval by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration.
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Sun said every country has its own problems and his company has no intention or capacity to deal with Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.
“I believe a government dedicated to development will make decision cautiously,” said Sun. “It is just a matter of time,” he added.
Sri Lanka emphasised that China has not been sidelined and that the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration is committed to strengthening Sino-Lankan relations.
The suspension has caused CCCC to lose USD380,000 per day. The project would give CCCC 108 ha of land as payment, 20 ha of it outright and the rest on a 99-year lease. It was expected to create 83,000 jobs for the locals.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
