The SLFP is against the budget proposal to fully open up the shipping sector to foreign companies, Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Parliament today.
The Minister said all the Cabinet Ministers, Deputy and State Ministers representing the SLFP had met with President Maithripala Sirisena and expressed their opposition to the budget proposal on lifting the restrictions on foreign ownership of shipping and freight forwarding agencies.
Speaking during the debate on the second reading of the Budget, the Minister said Minister Mangala Samaraweera said his proposal intends to encourage foreign investment to make Sri Lanka the maritime hub.
" If the Government is going ahead with this proposal, we in the SLFP propose to impose a pre-qualification that full foreign ownership would be allowed only if the foreign companies agree to bring in investment over USD 100 million,” Minister Samarasinghe said.
The Minister also said that the Cabinet on Tuesday has given approval to revise the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited to receive 30 percent of the USD 1.1 billion investment for Hambantota Port Joint Venture by next month.
(CK)
A Sri Lanka Air Force Bell 212 helicopter belonging to the No. 72 squadron has crashed into the Madhuru Oya reservoir this morning, Air FOrce Media Spokesman Eranda Geeganage said.
Update: Five of the twelve passengers on board the bell 212 aircraft that crashed into the Maduru Oya today, have succumbed to their injuries, the SLAF said.
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