By Shane Seneviratne   

Mahanayake Theras of the four chapters, in a memorandum to President Ranil Wickremesinghe have expressed their concern regarding the ongoing restructuring process of state owned enterprises.   They have pointed out that the state enterprises were public property conducive to the economic stability, public welfare and national security and that steps taken by the government to restructure them has been subject to severe criticism by the public for want of transparency and attention on public opinion. 

Mahanayake of Malwatta Chapter Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala, Mahanayake of Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera , President of the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha Ven. Karagoda- Uyangoda Maithri Murthi Thera, Mahanayake of the Sri Lanka Ramannya Chapter Ven. Makulewe Sri Wimalagnana Thera were signatories to the memorandum.   

“The government’s plan to sell the state enterprises to the private sector under the restructuring process would cripple public welfare, and national and social security. It is not a welcome move for the majority of the trade unions and the social organisations in the country. Haphazard and opportunist policies and unfavourable economic strategies have led to socio-economic, national and political crises in the country, The Mahasangha had made continual representations to the successive governments since independence on the need of a national policy to resolve the burning issues in the country giving priority to the social welfare and economic development.”   

“ The public opinion is that the political interference in making appointment to  public institutions, misuse of public assets, fraud and malpractice should be prevented through an effective mechanism to streamline affairs of the state sector. Privatising and selling economic nerve centres including state banks, and Sri Lanka Telecom and the Electricity Board that are largely instrumental in national security would not augur well for the future of the country. People are perturbed about the impending danger of socio economic, political and security crises.” The Mahanayake Theras said.

They requested the President to implement a restructuring process to streamline the affairs of the state sector that would not cripple the economic stability, social welfare and national security