Colombo’s East Container Terminal to be state-run

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena has said that the Port of Colombo’s East Container Terminal (ECT) will not be privatised but instead will be run by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

Last year, the SLPA had invited expressions of interest (EOI) from private sector firms, looking to secure a lease for ECT, but it now appears that the process is dead in the water.

Sirisena stated: “We are committed not to hand over the Eastern terminal to any party because such an action will lead to close the Sri Lanka Port Authority in another ten years.”