Government keen to make Port City financial hub of South Asia

The Government says it is keen to make the Chinese funded Port City the financial?hub of South Asia.

Minister Sajith Premadasa said that the future of the?Port City project was discussed during Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent visit to China.

Premadasa, who was part of the delegation which visited China, said that the Port City project will go down in history once it is completed.

He said that earlier the forger Government had agreed to give ownership?of part of the property to the company involved in the mega project.

The new Government has however refused to allow the company to have ownership rights to the property and has sought amendments to the agreement on the project.

“We have looked to convert this project into something more productive. This will be one of the biggest financial hubs in South Asia with big investments flowing in once the project in completed,” Premadasa said at a public gathering in Anuradhapura.

Earlier this week China had said it hopes some outstanding issues on the Port City project are?resolved so that work on the project can resume.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said that China?also hopes that the two sides will maintain communication and reach agreement on unsolved issues at an early date to pave the way for the resumption of the project. (Colombo Gazette)