• Ministry stresses no corruption claims about CWIT

The Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) project led by the Adani Group is to continue using the company’s funds, as funds anticipated through the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have not materialised, the Ministry of Ports and Shipping reveals.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku also stated that no allegations had been made against the Adani Group in Sri Lanka in connection with the CWIT project.

He noted that while allegations of bribery had been raised against the company in other countries, no complaints or evidence of misconduct had been reported locally, and therefore no investigations had been initiated by the Sri Lankan Government.

“Up to now, no one has provided proof of [the company’s] involvement in any illegal activities in Sri Lanka,” Kodithuwakku said. “There has been no request to investigate and there are no corruption allegations related to the CWIT project. We are happy with the progress of the project and there is no reason to stall it.”

He added that the terminal’s development was progressing well within schedule. The project, undertaken with John Keells Holdings as the local partner, is reportedly meeting its contractual requirements, including bringing in funds for construction.

“It had tried to secure funds from the US through the DFC, but despite not having received the funds, it has now decided to proceed with its own funds. We have no problem with that. This is its way of fulfilling its commitments according to the agreement without delay,” he added.

Kodithuwakku said the project was important for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, particularly due to increasing the Port of Colombo’s handling capacity. He explained that the Adani Group’s involvement had already helped increase the volume of goods arriving at the port. 

“Based on the current conditions of the Colombo Port and the flow of goods, this project supports revenue generation,” he said. “Adani’s operations have contributed to the increase in container arrivals at the port.”

He also referred to the difficulties experienced during the project period, including the Covid-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Despite these challenges, he noted that the Adani Group had not withdrawn from the project. 

“They continued their engagement during our period of difficulty and we are happy to keep note of that,” Kodithuwakku said.

The Deputy Minister pointed out that the first phase of the terminal, which was fully automated, began operations in April. 

The first phase of the terminal is equipped with advanced automated equipment, including eight automated Ship-To-Shore (STS) gantry cranes, 18 fully automated Rail-Mounted Gantry (RMG) stacking cranes, and 62 fully electric Internal Transfer Vehicles (ITVs). 

This initial phase has an annual capacity of approximately 1.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), with the overall project capacity expected to reach around 3.2 million TEUs upon completion.

The second and final phase is currently ahead of schedule, according to Kodithuwakku, with a new projected completion date of late 2026, which is three to four months earlier than the original February 2027 deadline. 

“About 50% of Phase 2 is already complete. I can confirm that about 50% of the yard is already complete and the remaining work is continuing. We have already commenced machinery testing for Phase 2,” he said.