Eastern Terminal will not be sold or handed over to anyone: Lanza

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

State Minister for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Development, Nimal Lanza yesterday reassured that the Colombo Port Eastern Terminal will not be sold or handed over to anyone but the government would consider positively on investments coming from India, the US, Japan, China or any other country. 

“We only consider investments that are beneficial to our country,” he stressed. 
Addressing the Galle District Infrastructure Development Committee meeting on Saturday, Minister Lanza said the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was of the view that the provincial council election should be held because it was a piece of legislation in the constitution. Therefore, it should be held soon and the people’s representatives should be given the opportunity to be appointed. People should be given the opportunity to decide on their representative. 

Minister Nimal Lanza went onto say that he agrees with the decision of the Committee of Experts on Cremation or Burial of COVID-19 cadavers and that no political interference should be made in that decision. Politicians must not interfere in expert panel decision on cremation or burial. 

Responding to journalists at the event, he said after January 22, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) will be opened for commercial flights, providing opportunities for those arriving in Sri Lanka on commercial flights. 

“Those who arrive can stay at a hotel of their choice under the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health for their mandatory quarantine. About 70,000 Sri Lankans were expected to come to Sri Lanka. Our aim is to give these people the opportunity to come to Sri Lanka on a flight of their choice after January 22,” he said. 

“We also carried out a programme to bring in 5,000 Ukrainian tourists as a pilot project to rejuvenate the tourist industry for the benefit of the three million people living on tourism. We are also ready to rectify the shortcomings of this pilot project and gain experience in how to carry out this programme in the future,” he stressed.