Business
It’s high time Sri Lanka brought SOE privatisation to the policy table: Advocata
Sri Lanka is already in one of the worst economic crises in its history. Experts warn that deep economic reforms are essential.
Reforming SOE’s can curb further losses, which add to the fiscal deficit.
The Cumulative losses of the 55 SOEs from 2006-2020 was a staggering 1.2 trillion.
Disposing of State Owned Enterprises which are a burden on the public finances, is the crucial need of the hour.
Immediate privatisation of large State Owned Enterprises, will build international investor confidence.
“Some big government enterprises are not responsive to our needs. And because they’re not responsive, you will go home today and you will have a blackout of one hour, because they are load shedding during peak hours ,” says Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, a veteran policy expert and an advisor of the Advocata Institute.
He made these comments at Advocata’s recent press briefing, organised to highlight the urgency of carrying out reforms to State Owned Enterprises (SOE).
“The basic issue is that we, in this country, are suffering from a twin deficit. We need to get started on addressing the core problem”, further stressed professor Rohan Samarajiva.
According to Prof. Samarajiva privatising a globally visible, yet loss making SOEs such as SriLankan Airlines is the best solution to create confidence among investors that Sri Lanka is serious about reforms.
Sri Lanka’s SOEs are a serious burden on public finances. With the economic crisis reaching a tipping point, it is becoming increasingly impossible to keep these loss making enterprises afloat. The continuation to do so, at the expense of the taxpayer can have serious consequences to the economic trajectory of the nation.
Advocata Institute’s research team has identified that the cumulative losses of the 55 SOEs from 2006-2020 is a staggering 1.2 trillion. The combined loss per day of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, The Ceylon Electricity Board , Sri Lanka Airlines, Sathosa and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board is about LKR 384,479,189, according to data for the year 2019. This is at the backdrop, where the country is wading through a serious debt crisis with questions surrounding our ability to meet forthcoming debt obligations.
The briefing brought together a panel of industry experts who raised alarm bells on why Sri Lanka cannot afford to be complacent about State Owned Enterprise reforms anymore.
Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, further explained the seriousness of this issue along with how privatisation can achieve positive outcomes for the country.
“In 1997, Sri Lanka Telecom was making losses and providing bad services. Today, after privatisation, it is providing us with good services and employment and double of what they were earning. It is also providing the government with a dividend which generated billions to the government”. He highlighted that the country has no other alternative to prevent the hemorrhaging losses of State Owned Enterprises apart from privatisation.
“Privatisation is not a one size fits all model, it is different in different countries and sectors – as seen in the telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka – with a good regulator, we can have competition, leading to greater efficiency and making technology accessible to the common public” commented Ms. Anarkali Moonesinghe, Advisor to the Advocata Institute.
She further elaborated that possible avenues for privatisation that can be considered include listing of State Owned Enterprises in the stock exchange. According to Ms. Moonesinghe, “our stock market could use large capital companies that are owned by the government today. It not only gives people ownership but also broadens ownership by giving the average person an opportunity to become a direct stakeholder to these enterprises. This can be a better option than attaching the person through taxpayer money or having your EPF/ETF being taken into these enterprises”, thereby describing the merits of listing.
Dr. Sarath Rajaptirana, Advocata’s Academic Chair, said that the present crisis makes two choices available to us, which is “reform or perish ”. He highlighted the urgency of implementing structural reforms. He further commented that the key issue with State Owned Enterprises lies in productivity.
” For over 30 years, Sri Lanka’s total factor productivity was less than 1%,.This is in severe contrast to countries such as South Korea and Vietnam, where a jump in productivity is experienced today which we were never able to maintain . If you want permanent change in the GDP rate, you need to have productivity increase” said Dr. Rajaptirana.
As agreed with the Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (Guarantee) Ltd. (SLBA), to provide relief measures to affected SMEs by licensed commercial banks and licensed specialised banks, Circular No. 04 of 2024 dated 19.12.2024, and its addendum, Circular No. 01 of 2025 dated 01.01.2025 were issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to ensure the effective implementation of the relief measures specified in the cited Circulars in a consistent manner across all licensed banks.
In case of any rejections or disputes, borrowers are requested to contact the respective banks and to appeal to the Director, Financial Consumer Relations Department of CBSL (FCRD), if required through the following channels:
Based on the repayment capacity and the submission of an acceptable business revival plan by the borrower, the relief measures extended to affected SMEs include rescheduling of credit facilities up to a period of 10 years, extending the time to commence repayments based on the capital outstanding, waiving off unpaid interest subject to conditions, and providing new working capital loans. Despite the availability of the above relief measures, limited number of borrowers had approached licensed banks to avail themselves of these benefits to date.
In addition to the above measures, with the gradual recovery of the economy, in order to facilitate the sustainable revival of businesses that were adversely affected during the recent past, several other measures were taken by CBSL together with the banking industry.
Accordingly, inter alia, strengthening the Post Covid 19 revival units of licensed banks, CBSL issued Circular No. 02 of 2024 dated 28.03.2024 on “Guidelines for the Establishment of Business Revival Units of Licensed Banks” mandating banks to establish Business Revival Units (BRUs) to assist viable businesses that are facing financial and operational difficulties.
Under BRUs, banks may provide support to viable businesses, such as restructuring and rescheduling of credit facilities including the adjustment of interest rates, maturity extensions, providing interim financing, advisory services etc., subject to the condition that such borrowers are required to submit acceptable business plans and feasible repayment plans. As reported by banks, by the end of 2024, around 6,000 facilities had been facilitated through these BRUs.
The above cited Circulars and Guidelines can be accessed via https://www.cbsl.gov.lk
Visa (NYSE: V), the global leader in digital payments reiterated its support to women entrepreneurs across Sri Lanka as a part of its International Women’s Month celebrations across the world, by stating a firm commitment towards financial inclusion and digitization of women-led businesses, and hosted women from different walks of life in a specially curated event at Colombo.
Avanthi Colombage, Country Manager for Visa in Sri Lanka and Maldives stated, “At Visa, we believe in being the best way to pay and be paid by uplifting everyone, everywhere. This year, we celebrated International Women’s Month to support the very capable businesswomen in our country, with an event titled ‘Overcoming Barriers to Growth’ along with Square Hub, an incubator and business accelerator.”
The event by Visa brought together 35 upcoming women entrepreneurs across various sectors, including fashion, e-commerce, fintech, technology, manufacturing, and agriculture. While prominent industry experts shared views, learnings and experiences from their own journeys, the event also facilitated open discussions and networking among entrepreneurs, on how they can build and sustain thriving businesses.
Avanthi elaborates that Visa has built a firm foundation in supporting female entrepreneurship and the empowerment of women in Sri Lanka and understands the challenges women-owned businesses face when seeking capital, access, networks and guidance and continues to actively uplift women in Sri Lanka. Globally and in Sri Lanka, Visa believes that the participation of women is key to the growth of an economy. Avanthi adds, “Two years ago, when we celebrated 35 years of Visa in Sri Lanka, we announced a grant for The Asia Foundation to assist women-led small and medium businesses (SMBs) throughout the country. This initiative offered vital seed funding, skills training, and financial inclusion opportunities for women entrepreneurs, helping remove some major barriers to their success,” she recalled.
Environmental groups, including the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and the Environmental Foundation Ltd. (EFL), are raising renewed concerns about the potential ecological impact of large-scale wind energy development on Mannar Island. Conservationists argue that the island, home to a unique and sensitive ecosystem, faces serious risks from industrial projects that may disrupt biodiversity and endanger local wildlife.
At the heart of the controversy is whether the environmental issues raised by Adani Group’s proposed wind energy project in Mannar were being adequately considered. Critics argue that tariff negotiations and economic interests overshadowed ecological assessments, potentially leading to a project that might compromise the island’s rich natural heritage.
“Can wind energy coexist with Mannar Island’s fragile ecosystem? asked environmental scientist Hemantha Withanage of the CEJ.
He told The Island Financial Review: “We must ensure that our transition to renewable energy does not come at the cost of irreplaceable biodiversity.”
Other conservationists have pointed out that environmentalists are often misrepresented as obstructionists in debates over development. “Are we being painted as enemies of progress, or is the public being misled about the real consequences of such projects? questioned Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, a leading environmental advocate.
With Adani’s possible withdrawal from the project, there is now an opportunity to reevaluate Sri Lanka’s approach to sustainable energy. Experts emphasize the need for a smarter, science-driven path that prioritizes both renewable energy and environmental conservation.
A joint media conference, scheduled for today at the Dutch Burgher Union, Colombo, aims to address these concerns. Organized by WNPS, CEJ, EFL and Pethiyagoda, the event will explore questions such as whether the project might resurface under a new guise and who the true beneficiaries of such large-scale energy initiatives are.
By Ifham Nizam
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