Major shipping companies have expressed their willingness to partner with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to operate the Colombo Port’s Eastern Container Terminal, but the deal with the Adani-run Western Container Terminal is reportedly blocked those opertunaties.
The agreement bars the Sri Lanka Ports Authority from allowing any new services at the Colombo Port, directly or indirectly, to any third party for a period of seven years from the date of commencement of the Western Container Terminal contract or until the port’s total container handling capacity exceeds 5.5 million units.
This situation has prevented the Ports Authority from accepting new investments.