The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I will respond in order.

¶ 02 On LRT: based on transport experts and the country’s current financial status, we have not decided to proceed at this time, nor have we finally decided to cancel it. Most likely, within the next four years we will not start LRT. We are investing heavily in relieving Colombo congestion and building roads. Considering the volumes LRT can carry, preliminary information suggests it may be insufficient for our current needs.

¶ 03 On CoMTrans 2012: it requires a significant update, which we are undertaking. We are adopting the policy of developing multimodal centres, planning to develop about 15 first, with a goal of around 50 over four years.

¶ 04 On SriLankan Airlines: with the Minister absent, I will say this. The airline is burdened by massive debt; no one wants to take it as-is. Those who must lead this process need deep sector knowledge—it is not mere engineering. Mr. Ganegoda is associated with various companies; I don’t know all the details. He serves voluntarily—this is not a simple matter. Judge by outcomes: operationally, SriLankan has moved into profit in the current period, as has HIPG at Hambantota on an operational basis. Debts make the bottom line red, but operations are improving. We ask that you assess by performance, not personalities.

¶ 05 Finally, on the private bus ownership transfer issue raised by Jagath Withana: there is a major problem transferring ownership when the original owner dies. We are amending the law; regulations were delayed. Our Ministry’s legal officer has now informed that the regulations will be ready this month, enabling all private bus operators to transfer ownership properly from this month.