VZCZCXRO9312
RR RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHLM #0103/01 0400413
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090413Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1282
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0001
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1260
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 2403
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 9425
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 7680
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3841
RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS 0529
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 5799
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0007
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9985
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0191
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0007
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2701
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0521
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 0147
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 7220
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 0407
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0006
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0001
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000103 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD EINV EAIR ELTN EWWT PGOV CH CE
SUBJECT: HAMBANTOTA PORT COMPLEX: WILL SRI LANKA REALIZE 
THE DREAM? 
 
REF: A. A. COLOMBO 01125 
     ¶B. B. COLOMBO 01007 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Sri Lanka is betting on becoming a global 
trading hub, and a key part of its strategy is developing a 
giant port and industry facility in the southern rural area 
of Hambantota.  Robust development in Hambantota, 
specifically the seaport and the international airport, is 
progressing at a rapid pace.  Chinese support has been key to 
the development boom, and Chinese companies are deeply 
involved in infrastructure projects throughout greater 
Hambantota.  The Port of Hambantota is the centerpiece of 
current development efforts, but construction of the new 
airport as well as numerous smaller projects in Hambantota 
proper are key to the region's potential future viability. 
There seems to be a disconnect between the level of 
development and the, as yet, lack of long-term 
commercial-investment interest in the area.  Hambantota may 
very well succeed in building a city with an airport and 
seaport that do not live up to their potential and local 
infrastructure that benefits average citizens but does not 
spark a local economic boom.  It is likely that corruption 
and political patronage are significant factors playing into 
the focus on Hambantota.  Often when Chinese companies win 
contracts, their success is due in part on their widespread 
distribution of graft to senior Sri Lankan government 
officials.  While it is currently unknown to what extent 
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is involved in Hambantota 
development, it seems logical that his hand is also out when 
commercial enterprises, especially the Chinese, jockey for 
contracts and projects.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
THE JEWEL OF HAMBANTOTA 
 
¶2. (SBU) Construction of the Port of Hambantota and 
development of the greater Hambantota district continues to 
move ahead at a breakneck pace.  The port is scheduled to 
open in November 2010, one year ahead of schedule.  The port 
will occupy an area of more than 1,700 hectares, making it 
the largest regional port in South Asia in terms of square 
footage.  For example, the port will be six times larger than 
the Port of Colombo.  The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is 
hoping to garner significant business from the 70,000-80,000 
ships that pass Sri Lanka's southern tip each year. 
Currently, only 6,500 call on the Port of Colombo.  The SLPA 
hopes to attract up to 10,000 additional vessels each year, 
with a significant portion of those berthing at Hambantota. 
The first phase of construction at the Port of Hambantota, 
costing USD 471 million, will be funded in large part by a 
USD 307 million loan from the Chinese Export-Import Bank 
(EXIM).  China Harbor Engineering and Syno-Hydro Corporation 
are responsible for the port's construction.  Both companies 
have embarked on an ambitious around the clock construction 
regimen.  According to Colombo-based Chinese diplomats, China 
Harbor employees regularly work twelve hour shifts six days 
per week, and they generally work through local and Chinese 
holidays. 
 
¶3. (U) Once completed, the port will have a 16-meter depth, 
Two-way entry channel, a 16-17-meter harbor basin (compared 
with Colombo's 15-meter basin), and will be capable of 
handling larger vessels than currently are accommodated at 
the Port of Colombo.  With concurrent construction of an oil 
tank farm, the port will initially be capable of refueling, 
handling of bulk cargo such as cement and fertilizer, bulk 
trans-shipment, and the bunkering of 80,000 gallons of fuel, 
6,000 metric tons of LP gas, and 10,000 metric tons of 
 
COLOMBO 00000103  002 OF 004 
 
 
aviation fuel.  Future construction plans at the port call 
for the addition of ship repair and overhaul facilities, 
construction of limited container facilities, and additional 
commercial berthing.  China Harbor owns the contract for 
these future construction projects. 
 
 
CAN THE PORT OF HAMBANTOTA ATTRACT INVESTMENT? 
 
¶4. (SBU) The SLPA has invited investors from the cement, 
fertilizer, warehousing, gas, ship repair, port services, 
off-shore services, and food processing industries to 
consider placing facilities at the Port of Hambantota. 
Investors will have the choice of obtaining property at the 
port on a lease basis, via entering into a joint-venture 
with the SLPA, or purchasing land outright with payments of 
royalties to the SLPA based on production or volume.  Chinese 
companies involved in the construction of the port may be 
given preferential terms should they desire to build 
commercial facilities after completion of port construction. 
Preferential terms may include low rent leases, extended tax 
holidays, and provision of small tracts of land for their own 
use/development. 
 
¶5. (SBU) With completion of phase 1 of the Port of 
Hambantota, the SLPA and the Government of Sri Lanka hope to 
grab a share of the existing trade between India and China. 
Trade between the two countries is currently channeled 
through either Dubai or Singapore.  Hambantota also would 
like to position itself as a primary bulk cargo handler for 
shipments to/from Pakistan and Bangladesh.  While the SLPA 
has grand plans for the Port of Hambantota, it must weigh 
this with the future physical expansion and increased 
capacities of the Port of Colombo and possible competition 
from other developing Indian ports.  While initially 
Hambantota will focus on bulk rather than container traffic, 
long-term viability will need to see the port running in 
competition with Colombo rather than operating as a 
complement to it. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) There has not yet been private investment in the 
Hambantota Region, which could be a hard sell.  Hambantota is 
located in the rural south, far from Colombo, there are no 
significant industrial industries nearby, so at least 
initially Hambantota will not benefit from local exports and 
imports. The Hambantota project has been government directed, 
although private investment could emerge later if the project 
becomes commercially viable. 
 
 
THE REST OF THE HAMBANTOTA PROJECT 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) is quickly working 
to integrate the Port of Hambantota with air and rail links. 
Construction of the Hambantota International Airport (HIA) is 
underway and the southern railroad is being extended to the 
airport with an additional rail extension being developed 
that will reach the port.  The GSL envisions using an 
integrated-transport system rapidly to ship goods to 
locations throughout Sri Lanka.  This effort is being 
supported by further Chinese EXIM bank loans, and China 
Harbor owns the contract to construct HIA and the rail links. 
Plans are also on paper to construct a six-lane southern 
expressway connecting the greater Hambantota area to western 
and central Sri Lanka.  Highway overpasses will be 
constructed at major junctions to minimize traffic congestion 
on the expressway.  No specific completion timeline has been 
set for this project.  Given Sri Lanka's past track record, 
 
COLOMBO 00000103  003 OF 004 
 
 
construction of an expressway could take years. 
 
¶8. (U) The Sri Lankan Urban Development Authority (UDA) has 
nicknamed Hambantota the "Gateway to Asia".  The GSL has 
designated Hambantota as a priority metropolitan area and an 
urban development zone.  In addition to the construction of 
the international airport and seaport, and expansion of the 
road and rail network, the GSL has begun a major 
modernization effort in Hambantota proper.  A Korean company 
is building a 1,650-person convention center and the 
Hambantota District Administrative center via a loan and 
grant respectively from the Korean Development Agency. 
Additionally, construction is underway on a new international 
cricket stadium, an auditorium, several libraries, a zoo east 
of the city, and a 300-acre botanical garden.  The UDA has 
zoned space for six new Hambantota hotels.  A Hambantota 
sewage and drainage plan has been established and approved by 
the GSL; however, a timeline for implementation of this plan 
has yet to materialize. The UDA has received an additional 
360 requests for zoning  approval for small scale projects. 
The Government of Iran is assisting the GSL with a major 
ongoing irrigation and canal project in greater Hambantota, 
aimed at significantly boosting local agricultural output.  A 
special task force has been established to ensure coordinated 
development of Hambantota and the city was recently added to 
the national fiscal plan as one of the five cities in the 
country designated to receive the lions share of funding for 
infrastructure development (Batticoloa, Colombo, Jaffna, and 
Trincomolee are the others).  The GSL hopes to develop 
Hambantota into a tourism hub and the UDA notes that there 
are more than 328 elephants in the greater Hambantota region, 
as well as archeological ruins, sand dunes, bird sanctuaries, 
and national parks. 
 
 
WHY HAMBANTOTA? 
 
¶9. (SBU) The GSL claims it chose Hambantota for development 
for business reasons: its proximity to international shipping 
lanes; the Port of Colombo has insufficient capacity to 
accommodate increased maritime traffic; the need for a second 
international airport; and the ready availability of land in 
greater Hambantota.  The GSL also hopes to address regional 
economic imbalances by reducing poverty in the rural south. 
While Hambantota does have close proximity to international 
shipping lanes, most of the ships transiting the area are 
container ships.  Hambantota, at least initially, will not 
have a container traffic capability.  Additionally, the Port 
of Colombo has ample existing capacity to handle a spike in 
additional vessel traffic.  With the planned construction of 
three additional terminals at the Port of Colombo, there will 
be even more capacity added to that port and the SLPA has not 
yet identified additional business to fill it.  There are 
some sights to see in/around Hambantota and land is 
available, but this is also the case in many other areas of 
Sri Lanka.  Greater Hambantota, however, is President 
Rajapaksa's home region and political base, and this may play 
prominently in the drive to develop the region. 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) Comment.  With Chinese and other foreign 
assistance, the GSL, SLPA, and UDA are pushing ahead with 
plans rapidly and robustly to develop Hambantota.  When the 
GSL master plan is completed, Hambantota will have a new 
seaport, international airport, rail links, roads, and local 
infrastructure.  Despite this, there are no near-term 
prospects for significant commercial investment.  The 
'international' airport will only be used for charter flights 
 
COLOMBO 00000103  004 OF 004 
 
 
given that there is little domestic airline presence and no 
international interest in using the airport for either 
passenger or cargo traffic.  The SLPA hopes the Port of 
Hambantota will be used, but it has no specific indications 
that international bulk cargo handlers will relocates 
some/all of their shipments to Hambantota or transship 
through the port.  Development of greater Hambantota can, in 
theory, help the local populace with a better standard of 
living as well as increased economic prospects, this can only 
happen if the GSL can attract people and business to the 
city's hotels, convention center, cricket grounds, or other 
new facilities.  Chinese interests are well positioned as 
they have the majority of projects in Hambantota.  The 
Chinese will have preference at both the Port of Hambantota 
and HIA once they are completed. 
FOWLER