A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Thursday, August 31, 2017
Handunnetti reveals ‘express robbery’ on expressway
2017-08-30
Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman and MP,
Sunil Handunnetti yesterday revealed that losses amounting to more than
Rs.36 billion had been incurred in Extension of the Southern Expressway
Project (ESEP).
He told a news conference organised by the ‘Voice Against Corruption’
(VAC) that the Chinese government was also responsible for the
misappropriations that had taken place when carrying out the project.
He said the unity government launched the project at an estimated cost
of US$1.9 billion or Rs.243 billion, which was a loan from China's Exim
Bank, with the government agreeing to bear 15 per cent of the cost of
the first and the second phases.
The MP said the FSDI Company which was constructing the expressway had
presented an additional estimate of Rs.36 billion for extending the
flyovers by 2.78 kilometers.
He said according to the original document the flyovers were to have a
total length of 6.33 kilometers but later requested permission to extend
them up to 9.11 kilometers.
“The new requisition was submitted after the construction began and the
agreement was signed. On November 13, 2016 the PM’s Secretary approved
the estimate but the FSDI had requested approval for the extension on
November 30, 2016. It is suspicious whether the Prime Minister had
permitted extension before the company's request," the MP said. He said
the company had sent a letter to the RDA Senior Project Director on
November 19, 2016 requesting approval for salaries of the foreign
employees mostly from China with an annex of a letter sent earlier
seeking permission from National Economic Council member R.
Paskaralingam.
“It is surprising to know that the RDA granted approval on the letter
sent to Mr. Paskaralingam,” he said and added that the appointments were
confirmed by the RDA Senior Project Director without evaluating their
qualifications but just looking at the CVs sent by the company.
The MP said that apart from the other major issues the company was
permitted to import a luxury Benz Car duty free to be given to a
powerful minister who has authority for the project. He said the matter
would be taken up for inquiry by COPE.
“We are not against expressways. But this scam is little more than the
whole income received by selling the Hambantota Port to China,” the MP
said. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)