Gammanpila presents five conditions to support privatisation

Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Udaya Gammanpila

Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Udaya Gammanpila says his party will support the privatisation of State enterprises subject to five conditions. As the party’s first condition, the parliamentarian said the privatisation process must be entirely transparent and be supervised by an all-party Parliamentary Committee. He said a valuation of the business venture must be conducted and a report submitted to the committee before the privatisation commences, while an audit report assuring the process was conducted transparently must be submitted to the committee after the privatisation process is completed. “No State enterprise should be privatised without the approval of the committee” the MP proposed. Gammanpila set down these conditions during a press conference held at the PHU headquarters yesterday.

Among the other conditions, Gammanpila said relevant markets must be regulated to prevent the exploitation of the people as a result of privatisation. He also stressed privatisation must at no time be a threat to national security. The MP said strategically important state business ventures must remain under Government control including agencies that are required in an emergency. “New entrepreneurs must also be given ample opportunities and a competitive market in which to conduct their business,” he said.

“Already rumours are rife that certain State enterprises have already been chosen to be privatised. However, if privatisation is done in a manner as during the times of Premadasa, Chandrika and Ranil previously State enterprises will be sold off for a pittance in return for massive commissions. This will only revive the campaign to protect State assets and the burden of these institutions will fall on the future generation once more,” he opined.