Highways and Investment Promotion Minister Kabir Hashim today said the final report of the committee headed by Prime Minister on Colombo Port City Project will be released in a few weeks and said that the project was ‘unlikely’ to proceed.  

He said the construction of the port city had been stopped for the time being and added the project would be scrapped if the committee report suggests the project was harmful to the country.

“We are receiving information that the legal approval had not been granted for the commencement of the project. This had been approved violating laws.  The project would unlikely to proceed,” he told a news conference today.

He said the project had been signed by the previous government was not in favour of Sri Lanka and that 50 hector of the proposed island had been given to China on permanent basis.

“The decision to give a part of the land to China is detrimental to Sri Lanka. This would pave security threats as China will have access to a part of the Sri Lankan waters as well. The frequency of docking their submarines and naval ship will increase if this proceeds,” he said.  

The Attorney General, environmental authorities, BOI members of the Finance Ministry and Ports Authority comprise the Committee headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.(DS)