Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday broke his silence and urged the government to discuss the Port City Economic Commission Bill with all stakeholders and protect the power of the legislature, judiciary and the executive.
Mr Wickremesinghe said that in 2016 he suggested the setting up of an international financial centre in Colombo and inturn the Cabinet suggested that it should be established in the Colombo Port City.
He said that laws were drafted for this financial centre by the then government while developing the infrastructure of the Port City and other affairs was the responsibility of the company concerned. In the law so drafted, we have taken necessary steps to safeguard the company’s interests too, he said.
In addition to this, he said several new laws were to be passed from time to time to make the Port City workable. Powers of the Cabinet the legislature and the judiciary were taken into consideration, and those power were protected through legislation.
The former Prime Minister was of the view, the new draft bill introduced by the present government is dangerous since it tends to override the powers of the Cabinet, the legislature and the judiciary.
No such legislation has been passed in any other country world over, and asked the government why it was done?.
The former Prime Minister, posed the question of whether it was going to be a haven for money laundering, which would be isolated by all advanced economies.
Mr Wickremesinghe requested the government to discuss this matter with all parties, concerned and religious groups because no one seems to be against the setting up of a financial centre in the country.
