The government’s move to sell the Eastern Terminal of the Colombo Port is not merely an isolated issue concerning the port employees, but an issue of every patriotic individual in the country, JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti said. He added that the Eastern Terminal of the Colombo Port is to be sold to India by the government without considering the agitations of harbour employees and the patriotic people.
Not only the harbour employees, but also every patriot should come forward to protect this state asset, since the port is considered as the heart of the economy and the country, he said.
He said so while addressing the 18th Convention of the All Ceylon Workers Association yesterday at the Colombo Harbour Premises. The convention was held with the aim of making the port employees aware of the privatization project.
Handunnetti added that the process to sell the entire port sector has been put in motion. However, the sale of the Eastern Terminal can be considered as the sale of the entire port ,since the country owns only the Eastern Terminal as at now, because all other terminals have already been privatized during ruling periods of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chandrika Bandaranaike. Now, 49 per cent of shares of the Eastern Terminal, which is the only terminal of the country, are going to be sold under this government.
All constructions of the Eastern Terminal have already been completed by now and only the machinery has s to be installed. Once the machinery is installed the terminal will make profits. It has been estimated that the process of installing the machinery, including the importing them, will take around 11 months. Then it is clear that from the 12th month the terminal will make profits.
Handunnetti further said that as a result of the privatization moves carried out so far, the state portion of the harbour, has reduced to 44 per cent by 2016. The state’s ownership in 2001 was 83 per cent.
He noted that Colombo harbour is situated in a better place geographically in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka could easily utilize this geographical advantage so as to convert the harbor into a key profit earning state owned venture, without privatizing or selling it.
“Even though the terminals of port were sold or privatized, all the services are carried out by the Port Authority spending millions. Under this arrangement, the maintenance of roads, providing infrastructure facilities such as electricity and water, providing security, building maintenance and many other activities are performed by the Ports Authority for the private companies, which have got hold of the terminals. Therefore, if the Eastern Terminal is sold, only the sea water will be left for the country” he added. “I request all Sri Lankans to fight against this decision to sell the port, since this the wealth of the people. This port should be protected for the future generation” he said.
With a view to protect the Eastern Terminal from being sold , the JVP will launch several campaigns countrywide, he said.
JVP’s Trade Union Coordinator K.D. Lal Kantha said everyone is duty bound to protect the harbour.
Speaking on Budget 2017, he added that there is no proposal in the budget to strengthen family units economically.
“There are no proposals in the budget to bring money to the family unit,” he said.
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