Chinese company refuses to build a cable car to Ambuluwawa due to landslide risk

Ambari Adventures, a Chinese company and a major investor in the Ambuluwawa project, which was proposed as Sri Lanka's first cable car project, has decided to withdraw from it. The primary reason for this decision is the step taken by the Ministry of Environment to suspend construction activities after facts revealing a landslide risk were uncovered. The investment company officially informed the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka about this yesterday (14).

It is stated that all necessary permits and agreements for this project, implemented as a combination of American and Chinese investments, were obtained in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. However, it is reported that investors have faced severe difficulties due to continuous disruptions to the project's construction activities. Ambari Adventures states that the company had to face unexpected financial losses due to these disruptions.

Mr. Yuan Yuping, the director of the company, has emphasized in a letter to the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka that they will take steps to file a complaint with the International Court of Arbitration to recover the financial losses incurred due to the project being halted midway. The letter further states that this step is necessitated by the continuous disruptions to the project and government decisions.

Commenting on this, the Ambuluwawa Trust Board states that the withdrawal of investors from the country's first cable car project is a significant loss for the nation. They point out that it is regrettable that the government makes decisions without proper investigation, based on accusations made by individuals who lack a proper understanding of the facts. The Trust Board further states that the halting of such a massive project, which cannot be implemented arbitrarily, will result in the loss of direct and indirect employment opportunities as well as income sources that the people of that area would have received.