The National People’s Power (NPP) states that the Port City Act creates two laws and two countries. This was stated addressing a media briefing held at the JVP head office in Pelawatta today (25th) morning.
General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva, NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and renowned writer Keerthi Welisarage addressed the media briefing.
The General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva addressing the media briefing said, “When the President came to power he said that a patriotic and sovereign government would be established. Therefore, he said the country would not be sold and would not be betrayed. An opinion was formed in the country that only Gotabaya Rajapaksa is there to protect the country. The government that came to power and the President have now brought in the Port City Act which deprives the country of its sovereignty. There is a possibility of a number of economic and political damages to our country due to this bill.
There is a lot of talk in the community about the Port City Act. A a large number of its harmful effects have been revealed. Also, a number of petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court against it. In fact, the only question that would be examined in the Supreme Court is whether the Port City Act is in line with the Constitution. However, the economic and political damage of the bill would not be discussed. We think that an opinion should be formed in the country on the possible economic, political and cultural harms if this Port City Act is implemented.
According to the Act prepared by the President to govern the port city, it is carried out by a commission. We think that this situation poses a serious threat to the sovereignty of our country. If we are one country and one law, the law of the land should be valid even to the Port City. However, what we see is that though it belongs to Sri Lanka geographically, but it would be an independent region that doesn’t belong to us legally.
The first is that this has been removed from public administration in the country. This does not belong to the Colombo Municipal Council or the Western Provincial Council. It is an area that is not accountable to Parliament. This does not belong to any institution of people’s representatives. It is governed by a commission appointed by the President. It consists of five to seven people. It is not clear who will be appointed to it. In appointing members for the commission the President is not responsible for appointing anyone. He need not ask the Cabinet. The idea is that Port City will be controlled by the president. There is a big danger here. When it is controlled by one person, the residents, land grabbers and racketeers get an opportunity to interfere and get a president who would be favourable to them. It is clear that sovereignty is being harmed because it is outside the sovereignty of the people.
No matter what the government states, this bill has removed a large number of laws in the country. They are mentioned in the final schedules of the Port City Act under the relevant Acts. Some of them are the Urban Development Authority Act, the Strategic Development Act and the Board of Investment Act. There are several business related acts that have no effect in this territory. This is a separate territory removed from sovereignty. The Port City Act will create two countries two laws instead of one country and one law.
The port city is created to suit the needs of China. They are making this for their economic and political interests. There is no way a Chinese company would create a land for us. They spend for the whole project. They run it for their own political and economic interests. This is not as simple as the government shows. Therefore, Sri Lanka will inevitably fall victim to a regional power struggle.
In this region, the United States, India and Japan are the leading camps on one side and China as an economic power on the other. There is a contradiction between these two camps. When China builds an island near India and fulfills its economic and political needs, it is inevitable that India and the United States will act against it. The government said we were pursuing a non-aligned policy stating we will not kneel before anybody. But this Act makes Sri Lanka a victim of the regional power struggle. Sri Lanka does not have the strength to clash with these countries.
Sri Lanka is already living on Chinese and Indian loans. If the debt is lost the government will not exist either. Sri Lanka is a country with a government that pays for its debt with its resources. Port City is an extension of the same policy.
Despite such a situation the government has a number of points to make.
• They say the bill will bring about economic development. They say it will bring in foreign investment, create jobs, increase production and boost the economy. But in reality it has an area little over 446 hectares. They say it has the potential to build the entire country. How can a country that could not be built with its vast land mass, several harbours, beaches and so many resources going to be built using this small piece of land? These works are like making toy houses. The government is lying to cover up its incompetence.
They say relief should be provided to attract investment to Sri Lanka. We too accept that. There are already a large number of institutions in Sri Lanka that provide such relief. Formerly the Greater Colombo Economic Commission was formed. It was enlarged and the Board of Investment was formed. Under this tax relief could be given to companies. Some laws are less effective. The Strategic Development Act was introduced to provide more relief. In spite of all this, why create another one to provide relief? We also have a question as to whether they think that investors who cannot be attracted with such relief could be attracted by creating a separate country.
In fact, Sri Lanka has not been able to attract investment not because of lack of tax concessions or legal issues in our country. Investments go to places where the rules are tighter. When China called for investment, its centralized one-party rule and strict rules did not bother investors. Investors came there. No commissions. No bribe was demanded. But when investors come to Sri Lanka, the ruling politicians demand commissions and bribes. These investors are not ready to do business by paying large commissions and bribes. What the government needs to do is change the culture of extortion. We have heard of the experience of former investors leaving Sri Lanka due to the demand of bribes and commissions from the President to the lowest representative. Therefore, it is not fair to say that the Port City Act is being brought in to provide relief, leaving the real issue aside.
The government is showing the people a dream that the country will develop with investments and jobs due to the port city. How many such dreams have been shown to the people of our country? When the UNP government built the Mahaweli project they said agriculture will be developed, industries will be developed with electricity and the country will overflow with milk and honey. It was said that electricity could be sold to India as well. But now we have to buy electricity from India. such a dreams were created when the Greater Colombo Economic Commission was created, when creating free trade zones and boards of investment. It was said that investments would come and the country would be a paradise. Today they have become a tragedy. They have failed to provide even the minimum facilities to their employees. Even when the Strategic Development Act was brought these things were said. While all of that has failed, the new dream is the Port City Act.
The real story is that the government has had to kneel before China. Due to borrowing China had to be handed over the ownership of the acquired land for some of the leftovers falling from China. As such, the President has to become a puppet dancing according to foreign countries. He has had to bring in the Port City Act and hand over its control to its business community. There is a possibility of black money and racketeers breaking into a place where the law of the land is weakened. A place where money laundering is committed becomes a hotbed of racketeers. This will become a place where conspiracies are hatched to overthrow the government and change the President. This could become a place where black money is pumped.
It can be said that it is a serious danger that we are inviting into the country. The danger is not caused by the land but by the act of giving up the sovereignty of the country. This is not made for the country or the people, but to please the racketeers who come here, to please China. Therefore, I urge the people not to be deceived by the dreams of Port City but to come forward against the danger of creating a land that will not be controlled by our country.”
