The Bar Association of Sri Lanka today stated that there was a lack of transparency granted to stakeholders to examine the Port City Commission Bill, and requested the Government to defer any further action on it. The Committee appointed by the BASL has found that the information in relation to the project company, any agreements entered into between the Government and the project company, and information with regard to the administrative structure of the land mass (Grama Niladhari divisions, Municipal Wards etc) have not been disclosed or are not available for public; and that certain provisions of the Bill may be inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution. They also stated that the subject matter of the Bill is of national importance and has the potential to generate significant economic benefits to the country. Based on these findings the Committee recommended that, given the limited time, that the BASL should first challenge the constitutionality of the Bill under Article 120 of the Constitution before the Supreme Court. The BASL also stated that they should call for observations from its Members including Members who have the required expertise and that they should request the Government to defer any further action on this Bill for a reasonable time to enable the BASL to engage with and consult the relevant stakeholders and contribute fully in this important national endeavour. "The Executive Committee of the BASL accordingly requests the Government of Sri Lanka to defer further action on the Bill, until the views of all stakeholders including the public are sought and given due consideration," the BASL said.