Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority General (Retd) R. M. Daya Ratnayake said if the Government of Sri Lanka resolves the diplomatic issues, the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port will be up and running within two months.

Recently, port workers staged a protest demanding the ECT not be handed over to foreign entities and it was only called off following a meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

Following the meeting, 03 imported gantry cranes were unloaded at the East Container Terminal.

General (Retd) R. M. Daya Ratnayake believes it will take at least another one month for the gantry cranes to be in full operational status.

The SLPA Chairman said the 03 gantry cranes were originally imported for Phase V of the Jaya Container Terminal which is yet to be constructed.

“The cranes were moved to ECT as a temporary measure as there was no alternative,” said the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

General (Retd) R. M. Daya Ratnayake said a diplomatic level issue is in the way of prepping the East Container Terminal into operation status.

He said the issue arose following an agreement signed by the Former Government of Sri Lanka with India and Japan adding discussions caused the delay in solving the issue.

https://www.newsfirst.lk/2020/07/06/if-diplomatic-issues-are-solved-ect-will-be-up-and-running-in-two-months-slpa-chief/