Opposition Leader exposes major malpractices in Colombo Port Terminal Project

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has alleged widespread financial and operational malpractices in the execution of the second phase of the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) development at the Port of Colombo.

Addressing a group of engineers at his office in Colombo, Premadasa stated that technical officers had raised severe red flags regarding the state-backed infrastructure initiative.

Originally launched in January 2023, the project was scheduled for completion by 3 January 2025, but key operations remain unfinished well past the initial timeframe.

Significant structural conflicts of interest have compromised the integrity of the development, according to the Opposition Leader.

He highlighted that engineers are concurrently serving in both the Project Management Unit and the independent advisory team, essentially forcing personnel to evaluate their own decisions instead of maintaining distinct oversight bodies.

Furthermore, he noted that the project is operating without a permanent project director, whilst project deadlines have been extended three times without requisite Cabinet approval.

With the third extension set to lapse on 7 July 2026, he asserted that a fourth unauthorized extension is currently being processed by officials without approval from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

The administrative oversights are accompanied by serious fiscal irregularities that threaten public funds.

Premadasa claimed that unauthorized advance payments are being continuously disbursed, with certain financial entries made secretly and others removed from official logs, resulting in severe losses for both the port authority and the national treasury.

In addition, staff recruited through a competitive process under the 2019 Management Services Circular have not received updated salary scales.

The Opposition Leader pointed out that these systemic failures and alleged unlawful transactions threaten to undermine investor confidence and delay critical maritime infrastructure.