Business

SOE reforms seen as bedevilled by corruption and governance issues

Published

3 years ago

2023/11/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

The panel discussion in progress

By Lynn Ockersz

The local State Owned Enterprises (SOE) reforms process is dogged by widespread corruption and governance issues. There was general agreement on this position at a wide-ranging discussion held under the aegis of the Sri Lanka Innovators’ Forum of the Dr. Gamani Corea Foundation on October 16 at the BMICH.

The prime focus of the discussion was a paper presented by the Advocata Institute, Colombo, on ‘Public Enterprise Reforms’. Key presenters for the Institute were its senior personnel Dhananath Fernando and Ms. Rehana Thowfeek. Director General, State-Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit of the government, Suresh Shah, chaired the discussion and moderated it.

The principal panelists at the forum and some key comments made by them are as follows:

Dhananath Fernando: ‘Markets must be allowed to function. The government has no business in business enterprises. Doing SOE reforms fast and transparently is important. Profitability should not be the only consideration in this process. It is equally important to return to the country’s ownership these assets in the form of SOEs. The owners of an SOE are the citizens of the state. However, the worrisome matter is that citizens do not have a say in how an SOE is run; neither can they exit the reforms process if the SOE’s performance is unsatisfactory.’

Rehana Thowfeek: ‘A Rs. 1.8 trillion debt is owned by SOEs. However, reforming SOEs is vital for development. Corruption too is a recurring issue in SOEs. Sri Lanka’s health sector is a case in point. Privatization, though, should be seen as a priority.’

Suresh Shah: ‘The SOE restructuring process is geared to serve the wellbeing of the public and is not directed by the IMF. Listing of SOEs is vital but governance issues are getting in the way of development. The government should invest in the public sector but a prime issue is whether money is going to the right place.’

Dr. Lloyd Fernando, chairman, Dr. Gamani Corea Foundation: ‘There is a need to look at our problems holistically. The Temasek model is vital in this connection.’

Mahendra Jayasekera, Managing Director, Lanka Wall Tiles & Lanka Tiles: ‘There is this recurring problem of politicians trying to have a say in privatized enterprises. Besides, they are notorious for their double-talk. For example, they say one thing in parliament on SOE reforms and another thing to their electorates. They do not understanding the concept of return on assets. We have a serious governance problem in the country. We need to find out what benefits would accrue to the country from SOE reforms. Besides, people are skeptical about reforms being of any use.’

Chandrasena Maliyadda, Former Secretary, Ministry of Plan Implementation, Ministry of Southern Regional Development and Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications: ‘Privatization must be carried out after studying every SOE. Each SOE is different. We do not know whether the bidders for SOEs have the capability to run them, once they take them over. The Kantale Sugar Factory is a case in point. The irony is that these bidders seek government assistance to run these SOEs once they are privatized. However, the private sector, although seen as an ‘engine of growth’ is not at all effective.

‘The main issue is that our economy has been eroding. We don’t produce, there are no vibrant entrepreneurs. There is no risk-taking. What happens in privatization is that SOEs go from one set of corrupt hands to another. We should look carefully at how we are going to privatize. Privatization, though, is no panacea. All sectors are corrupt. We need to tread carefully.’

R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri, Director General, National Planning Department: ‘Do we have a system to put the right man in the right place? Are we implementing plans effectively? Good governance is important in every sector. Are all our sectors heading in one direction or are we at cross-purposes? All relevant stakeholders in development need to communicate effectively with the public on these issues. Different models are needed for different SOEs.’

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Business

HNB Finance strengthens Board with four independent directors

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

Newly appointed HNB FINANCE PLC Independent Non- Executive Directors (from left): Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi

HNB FINANCE PLC has strengthened its Board with the appointment of four Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective September 8, 2026.

The new directors are Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi, who collectively bring extensive experience in financial regulation, banking, risk management, corporate finance, investment strategy, development finance and public policy.

Wijayawardhane, an Attorney-at-Law and capital market professional, retired in July 2025 as Chief Regulatory Officer of the Colombo Stock Exchange after more than 31 years with the Exchange. His experience covers securities regulation, corporate governance, market infrastructure and compliance.

Gnanapragasam has over four decades of banking experience spanning treasury, risk management, credit and trade finance. She currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Cargills Bank, Wealth Trust and Vision Fund Lanka.

Mohamed is a corporate finance and investment professional who previously served as Lead Transaction Advisor at the State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit of the Ministry of Finance, where she led five divestiture transactions worth over US$600 million.

Dr. Wanniarachchi brings over a decade of experience in development finance, institutional reform and social protection, including work with the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka.

Business

Prime Residencies hands over The Palace Gampaha

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage speaking at the event

Prime Lands Residencies PLC has completed and officially handed over The Palace Gampaha, described as the largest planned gated residential community in Gampaha, to its homeowners.

The development, which commenced construction in 2021, is located two kilometres from Gampaha town and 100 metres from the Colombo-Kandy main road.

Spread across 13.5 acres, The Palace Gampaha comprises 480 two- and three-bedroom apartments in a ground-plus-three-floor development, with prices starting from Rs. 27.5 million.

The project allocates about 80% of its land to landscaped areas and common facilities, while the remaining 20% is used for apartment development. Facilities include a swimming pool, gymnasium, clubhouse, library, community kitchen, laundry, mini-mart and a daycare centre managed by the Lyceum Group.

The fully gated community also incorporates solar power for common areas, underground electricity cabling and a sewage treatment plant with water recycling facilities.

Prime Residencies said all statutory approvals required for the handover had been secured, including certifications from the Condominium Management Authority and registration of the Condominium Plan and Deed of Declaration.

Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage said the project reflected the company’s vision of creating large-scale residential communities designed to enhance the quality of life of Sri Lankan families.

The project is the latest addition to Prime Group’s portfolio of more than 70 gated community and apartment developments.

Business

SLANA warns NVOCC business losing ground amid THC concerns

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

SLANA Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe presenting a memento to Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka at the eventually

Sri Lanka’s Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) sector is losing ground despite the expansion of the industry in several regional markets, Sri Lanka Association of NVOCC Agents (SLANA) Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe said.

Wickramasinghe, re-elected for a third consecutive term at SLANA’s ninth Annual General Meeting last week said the continued difficulty in collecting Colombo Terminal Handling Charges (THC) as a separate land-based cost was among the key challenges facing the industry.

She said the practice placed Sri Lanka at a competitive disadvantage as principals consider the overall economics of operating through Colombo.

“When Sri Lanka becomes less commercially attractive compared with other regional destinations, the consequences eventually reach our members,” she said.

Wickramasinghe said a committee had been proposed at a recent meeting with the Minister and Deputy Minister to evaluate the THC issue, urging the authorities to expedite its appointment and review.

She also called for an early solution to the problem of uncleared salt containers at the Port of Colombo, which has resulted in delays in releasing empty containers.

With more than 75 NVOCC lines operating in Sri Lanka, she stressed the sector’s importance to regional trade, particularly links with India and China.

Ports Minister Anura Karunathilaka said Sri Lanka should expand regional business while exploring areas such as bunkering, freight forwarding and e-commerce logistics.