Sri Lanka has rejected claims of a “Chinese take-over” using the Hambantota Port.
Dispelling rumors of a “Chinese take-over” in Hambantota, Ravindra Jayawickrema, CEO of Hambantota International Port Services (HIPS) which is a subsidiary of port operator Hambantota International Ports Group (HIPG), emphasised that the port is governed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act.
“All ships entering the port have to gain approval from the Harbormaster in Colombo. The pilots who bring the ships in and out of the port are direct employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority,” he told the Xinhua news service.
The Hambantota Port recently celebrated the second anniversary since operations were given on a 99-year lease to HIPG, a joint venture between the China Merchants Port Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). (Colombo Gazette)