Prelates urge Govt. to reconsider acquisition bill

7 November 2011 09:30 pm

Sri Lanka’s leading Buddhist prelates including the Malwatte Chapter Mahanayaka the Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera have requested the government to reconsider the controversial ‘Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Unutilised Assets Bill’ under which the government plans to acquire 37 private companies.

The Malwatte Mahanayake Thera said he had written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and had particularly referred to the Sevanagala Sugar Company Ltd and requested that it be removed from the acquisition list.

He stressed the need for safeguarding the entrepreneurs who had established successful business ventures and expressed confidence that the government would reconsider its decision to go ahead with the Bill.

The Chief Prelate said he had reminded the president that the support of the private sector was vital in achieving the economic goals the government hoped to achieve.

Meanwhile several other leading monks led by Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha Thera told a media conference that they also urged the government to reconsider its decision or reintroduce the bill with amendments.

The Thera said considerable time should be given for all citizens including the businessmen to express their ideas on the Bill.

“It is not favourable for a government to rush through such a draconian piece of legislation,” he said.

The Thera said it would be a crime to acquire major sugar producing companies when they had given an assurance that it would be possible to supply nearly 50 per cent of the country’s sugar requirement before long.

The Ven. Bopitiye Dhamisara Thera also stressed the negative aspects of nationalisation and said it would become a burden on the economy as they would not be developed in a proper manner. Citing some examples he said the transport sector had not improved much since the formation of the SLTB after acquiring the bus companies which belonged to local businessmen while Lake House which was also nationalised had also become a loss-making entity today.

The monks stressed that their intention was not to put the government in difficulty but to put it in the right track. (Yohan Perera)