Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation

Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka informed Parliament of his resignation from the Special Select Committee investigating the 323-container matter. He explained that although he held no ports-related portfolio when the incident occurred — serving at the time as Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing — his current ministerial role over ports could give rise to perceptions of a conflict of interest or compromise the Committee's impartiality. He tabled his resignation letter and clarified that the decision was made independently and was not made at the request of any other party.

The Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation provided an update on the East Container Terminal (ECT), stating that the quay wall is complete, 10 of 20 yard lanes are operational, and full yard-to-quay connectivity and operations are expected by month-end, with truck-based operations to begin while straddle carrier procurement is finalised. He highlighted the importance of managing domestic cargo flows, which constitute 15 percent of Colombo Port's throughput, given the port's 85 percent transshipment dependency. The Deputy Minister outlined that the Container Depot Operators Licensing Bill would regulate depot services, service standards, and pricing, and would empower the Director General of Merchant Shipping to set minimum tariffs to maintain depot viability. He also noted that the opening of an elevated highway ramp would facilitate Green Channel routing for inland inspections, thereby reducing port congestion.

Deputy Minister Kodithuwakku introduced the Container Depot Operators Licensing Bill, framing it as essential to Sri Lanka's ambition to become a regional maritime hub. He outlined significant capacity expansion plans at the Port of Colombo, including the commissioning of the West and East Container Terminals to bring total capacity to approximately 15 million TEUs, while noting procurement irregularities at the ECT had caused delays and required re-tendering of straddle carriers. He argued that mismanagement of domestic cargo flows — representing 15 percent of Colombo's throughput — had caused landside congestion, with unregulated container depots creating inefficiencies including delays to trucks and prime movers. The Bill would empower the Director General of Merchant Shipping to regulate depot service levels and pricing, including minimum tariffs to protect depot viability, while complementary infrastructure measures such as a Port elevated highway ramp and a Green Channel inspection route are also planned.

## Summary Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka responded to questions from Hon. Champika Hettiarachchi regarding air passenger capacity and airport development. He reported that total air passenger handling in January 2026 reached 1,045,994, with projected figures of 11.68 million for 2027 and 12.6 million for 2028. Given that these projections exceed current capacity ahead of the planned 2029 completion of a second passenger terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport, the Ministry is undertaking interim expansions to the existing first terminal, including additional counters and increased airline access. The Minister also outlined plans for domestic airport development, including a private domestic terminal already in operation, a feasibility study for a dedicated domestic terminal, and a joint World Bank study on nationwide domestic air services expected to report by end of 2027.