The members representing the Colombo Port City Economic Commission stated that the food stalls at the Colombo Port City fall under leisure activities and will be removed by March 2027.
This was stated in response to the questioning of the Committee on Public Finance as to the legality of the establishment of such food stalls while the Colombo Port City was designed mainly to target foreign investments.
The discussion pertaining to this matter was held at the Committee on Public Finance on Wednesday in Parliament, chaired by Dr. Harsha de Silva.
The Committee further inquired of the Commission members on what legal basis they have decided to permit the establishment of such food stalls and on what grounds they will be removed by 2027.
The Committee further questioned whether the Attorney General has been consulted in this regard.
The Committee instructed the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and the Attorney General’s Department to submit information in this regard to the Committee as soon as possible.
The Committee further inquired regarding the revenue received by the government from the ongoing activities at the port city. The Committee instructed the officials to submit all details with regard to this for a better understanding prior to granting approval for the regulations.
Furthermore, given that the Port City is being constructed as a separate land mass under a smart city concept, the Committee questioned the Colombo Port City Economic Commission members present about whether smart city concepts such as wastewater management, renewable energy, and proper sewerage mechanisms have been included. The committee was of the view that issues experienced
in other areas of the country pertaining to improper sewerage and wastewater management should be avoided when developing the port city.
