The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has failed to give an explanation on why the construction of LAUGFS LPG Import and Export Terminal has been suspended, without any prior notice.
When contacted by us, sources within the company said the construction had been stopped due to the influence of the China Merchants Ports Holdings Company, which entered into an agreement with the Sri Lankan Ports Authority to handle the affairs of the Chinese harbour.
Built with an investment of $ 80 million, the LAUGFS terminal is set to be one of the largest LPG import and export terminals in its class in South Asia.
It was scheduled to be completed by April, 2018 and the company sources said the construction was 80 percent completed at the time the order was issued.
They said they were not given any explanation by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in this regard, nor was there any communication in writing.
They added that the staff handling the construction had been barred from entering into the Harbour premises.
LPG Import and Export Terminal was the only local investment within the Hambantota ports premises.
Our repeated attempts to contact Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Parakrama Dissanayake to get his comment on the matter did not bear fruit.
