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Cranes unloaded at ECT: SLPA loses millions in demurrage

05 Jul 2020

Govt. under pressure not to handover ECT to India $ 5.5 b loss for four years due to development delays By Maheesha Mudugamuwa The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has incurred millions of rupees in losses as demurrage costs due to the delay in unloading the gantry cranes which were brought from the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) to the East Container Terminal (ECT) and kept for 13 days. Speaking to The Morning, All Ceylon Port General Workers’ Union (ACPGWU) General Secretary Chandrasiri Mahagamage stressed that the SLPA had incurred costs of around Rs. 6 million a day for 13 days until the gantry cranes were unloaded. “The cranes have now been unloaded but are not installed yet,” he said, adding that the SLPA was waiting for Cabinet approval to install the cranes. They alleged that the Government intentionally delayed setting up the cranes due to pressure from India. Unions however urged the authorities not to hand over the development activities of the ECT to India. Furthermore, Mahagamage stressed that the SLPA had incurred a loss of $ 5.5 billion during the last four years due to the delay in installing the machinery. Last year, the SLPA signed a joint Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) to develop the ECT at the Colombo Port. The SLPA stated that the new partnership would help the Colombo Port continue its growth and further improve its competitiveness by opening itself to the world. According to the SLPA, the authority retains full ownership of the ECT; a company called Terminal Operations Company (TOC) would be established and Sri Lanka would retain 51% while the balance shares would be purchased by joint venture partners. “We have completed work on a 450 m section of the terminal and the SLPA spent a total of Rs. 10.8 billion on this project. The civil engineering activities, the electrical aspect, as well as preparation of the entrances have all been completed. All that is needed to be done is to install the necessary machinery; the SLPA has the money to do it, but the Minister and the Government have no interest in it,” he stressed. He alleged that even though Sri Lanka retains 51% of its shares, it could be sold to private companies. “What if they sold it to Japan or India?” he questioned.

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