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JVP calls for withdrawal of Selendiva proposals

19 Jul 2021

By Pamodi Waravita Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) politburo member Wasantha Samarasinghe yesterday (18) called for the withdrawal of Selendiva Investments’ proposals to privatise and develop State-owned land, threatening collective trade union action otherwise.  Speaking to The Morning, Samarasinghe said that over 400 lands and buildings are going to be brought under Selendiva Investments for sale to private investors.  “The public did not give the country to this Government for five years to put it on sale. The Government said they would take back what was sold during the previous regime as well. The opposite of this is now happening,” stated Samarasinghe. “Recently, the Government was forced to stop its crackdown on protests. Similarly, we are urging the Government to stop its sales of the country’s resources. If not, trade unions and civil society will start large-scale movements against this as well,” said Samarasinghe.  Cabinet approved the development of three special investment portfolios in May this year, under which a number of state-owned lands and buildings are to be developed as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and be listed on the stock market. Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Secretary Nimal Perera told The Morning at the time that the Cabinet paper aims to develop “underperforming and underutilised government assets in the Colombo Fort area” under the PPP model and be listed on the stock market, where Selendiva Investments, coming under the Treasury Department, owns 51% of these assets.


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