The master plan for creating an artificial island at Hambantota port by the British ATKIN group will be out in two months, the Sunday Observer learns.
According to the guidelines by the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) and Hambantota International Port Services (HIPS), two companies managing port activities, the island will be dedicated to port-related businesses. A forty-acre island, built with soil from the construction site of the harbour, was originally planned to be an entertainment-based tourist attraction.
Later, under the dual management of CM ports Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the new project was introduced as an exceptional sub project. The HIPG assigned ATKIN to prepare a master plan for the island. The Government showed interest of holding the ownership of the island even after the Chinese investment for the Hambantota port. However, as China Merchants Port Holdings (pvt) Ltd was ready to reduce the investment sum in such context, the government pulled back the proposal of developing the island. According to sources, the artificial island will be developed as a cargo generating business hub.