Ranil vows to abort Port City
Promises airport in East
December 16, 2014, 12:00 pmExpressing concern at the Colombo Port City Project having become an environmental hazard, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that a future national government formed by the Joint Opposition Front (JOF) would scrap that venture.
Wickremesinghe was responding to representatives of the tourist industry who met him at the Opposition Leader’s office to raise concerns about the adverse impact the Colombo Port City project had on the beaches stretching from Beruwela to Negombo and beyond.
Pointing out that haphazard development would lead to the destruction of the immense potential that tourism offered, Wickremesinghe said that a future JOF administration would ensure that the country’s natural resources were preserved since its earning potential far outweighed ‘pet projects’ such as the Colombo Port City.
"We will also implement a master plan aimed at drawing in high end tourists," the UNP leader pledged, adding that they would not resort to hoodwinking the masses by counting tourist arrivals which did not make a worthwhile contribution to the Treasury.
Wickremesinghe said that in a bid to develop the Eastern Province and its vast untapped tourist potential, the joint Opposition proposed to build an airport in that region.
The predicted revenue from the Mattala Airport had not materialized and steps would be taken to transform it into a viable venture, he observed.
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