{"id":154850,"date":"2026-02-22T17:19:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T00:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=154850"},"modified":"2026-02-22T17:19:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T00:19:56","slug":"ports-authority-should-eradicate-bureaucracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/02\/22\/ports-authority-should-eradicate-bureaucracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ports Authority should eradicate bureaucracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

New Ports Authority chairman may have a daunting task to suppress bureaucracy in the Port <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Port authority  deployed ADB  Asiandevelopment Bank to carry  out  a master plan to develop .Trincomalee Harbour<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far no action had been taken implement the ADB suggested proposals <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent submission  by EDB to obtain green light to develop offshore industry in Clapoenburg area of Trincomalee harbour was not supported by SLPA  citing  rejection by CEA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This issue has surfaced when EDB presented the proposal to EDCM   ( Export Development Committee of Ministers)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEA does not reject s proposal until an EIA is submitted<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why port is not supportive <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IAsian Development Bank prepared or funded a Master Plan for Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) for Trincomalee:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 A Master Plan is a strategic document<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 It identifies long-term development zones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 It does not automatically trigger implementation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very often:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Plans are prepared<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Approved at concept level<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Then shelved due to political or institutional changes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is unfortunately common in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the CEA Argument<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Does not reject a project before an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is formally submitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Normally issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Terms of Reference (ToR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Requires Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) or EIA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Then evaluates based on data<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if SLPA says: CEA rejected it\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a formal EIA process,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that statement is procedurally weak<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possible Reasons SLPA Is Not Supportive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A  .Institutional Risk Aversion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offshore industry is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Capital intensive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Politically sensitive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Environmentally scrutinized<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SLPA may prefer conventional port activities over offshore engineering hubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B. Control Over Strategic Assets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trincomalee is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Geopolitically sensitive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Monitored by defence and foreign stakeholders<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large offshore industrial proposals may require:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Cabinet approval<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Defence clearance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Strategic review<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SLPA may not want to trigger that complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C. Inter-Agency Rivalry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You mentioned EDB submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board promoting a project inside SLPA-controlled land can create:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Jurisdictional tension<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Who leads?\u201d conflicts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Turf protection behaviour<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is common in multi-agency systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D. Fear of Environmental Controversy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Past controversies involving CEA decisions (especially high-profile officers) may make SLPA cautious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may be using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEA issue\u201d as a safe administrative shield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E. Lack of Political Directive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LIn Sri Lanka, major port developments move only when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 There is strong Cabinet-level direction<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Or Treasury\/Presidential push<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without that, institutions tend to stall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic Observation (Important)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADB advisory board have long experience in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Offshore<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Shipbuilding<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Welding industry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Marine infrastructure<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trincomalee offshore engineering hub is high-value FDI, not a low-value cargo expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If SLPA does not see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Immediate revenue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Or direct control<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may not prioritize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

what  Can Be Done Strategically<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of confronting SLPA, one could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Request written clarification:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Has CEA officially rejected?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Was ToR issued?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Was EIA submitted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Escalate to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Ministry of Ports<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Ministry of Industries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 National Planning Department<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Frame project as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 National energy security<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Offshore wind \/ oil & gas servicing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Defence logistics support<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That changes narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This issue is administrative, not environmental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera New Ports Authority chairman may have a daunting task to suppress bureaucracy in the Port  Port authority  deployed ADB  Asiandevelopment Bank to carry  out  a master plan to develop .Trincomalee Harbour So far no action had been taken implement the ADB suggested proposals  Recent submission  by EDB to obtain green light to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sarath-obeysekera"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154850"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154851,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154850\/revisions\/154851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}