• Says they welcome converting them into public private partnerships

By Yohan Perera 

Responding to the reports which said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recommended privatization of 40 state owned enterprises, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday said it is against privatization of state institutions but would welcome converting them into public private partnerships. 

“We are for converting state owned enterprises into private public partnerships but not in favour of privatization of them totally,” SJB National Organizer Tissa Attanayake said. 

SJB MP. Dr. Harsha de Silva who claimed  he had checked the story on the recommendation made by the IMF and had been told that IMF had not made such a recommendation. 

“Story floated that the IMF has demanded 40 state owned enterprises be privatized. 

I checked up with people and was told there has been no such direction or request. While  state enterprises reform is crucial to deal with Sri Lanka’s  crisis, I am glad  that Minister Kanchana Wjesekera has stated, this story on IMF recommendation was  more fiction than fact,” Dr de Silva said in his twitter message.