The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has drawn attention to the prolonged delay in the construction of the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo Port, where the overall project has fallen behind schedule by 548 days.
The matter was taken up during a recent COPE meeting chaired by MP Dr. Nishantha Samarasinghe. The session was convened to review the 2022 and 2023 Auditor General’s Reports and the current operational performance of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
During the discussion, it was revealed that the project contractor has claimed Rs. 4,227 million in compensation due to delays in the completion of the terminal. COPE members also focused on the status of land acquisition and clearance of SLPA-owned properties required for the project.
The SLPA was summoned by COPE on September 10 to examine the same audit reports and performance concerns. Several unresolved matters from that meeting were taken up again at the latest session. (Newswire)
