Will Port City Make SL Economically Relevant To All?

Using the latest sustainable city design and smart city concepts, Port City, Colombo is poised to be the hub of South AsiaThe current government is determined to leave no stone unturned in its effort to enact this piece of legislation

- Kelum Bandara

No sooner had Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane read out the Supreme Court determination on the constitutionality of the Port City Economic Commission Bill than the government announced it would amend the bill accordingly to make it consistent with the Constitution. An immediate Cabinet meeting was called for in the evening and a decision was taken to incorporate all the suggestions made by the highest court. The court determined that certain clauses of the bill were inconsistent with the Constitution. Therefore, the court said the bill, in its present form with the inconsistent clauses, could be enacted with two-thirds approval of Parliament in addition to approval of people by referendum. However, the bill can be passed into law with a simple majority if these clauses inconsistent with the constitution are knocked off.

All the clauses that are inconsistent with the Constitution will be knocked off. Alongside, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardane proposed another amendment at that Cabinet meeting in addition to what the Supreme Court stated. He suggested that the majority members of the proposed Economic Commission should be Sri Lankans including its chairman.

“A lot of doubts have been created in the country about this project. We can allay such fears and concerns by reserving the majority slots for Sri Lankans. Also, the chairman should be a Sri Lankan,” he said.

His suggestion was widely acknowledged by Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara. The Cabinet endorsed it.