• Questions accountability on allegations about existing State entities

The People’s Struggle Alliance (PSA) urged the Government to reveal the names of all the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) that it is planning to shut down, alleging that the Government has not been fully transparent about the decision and its implementation.

The alliance’s member Duminda Nagamuwa expressed these concerns while addressing a media briefing yesterday (7), where he highlighted that the Government announced the names of only nine of these institutions. 

His comments are based on the Government’s announcement of the names of only ten SOEs scheduled to be restructured under the first stage of the programme.

He added: “There are issues with regard to these SOEs. Lanka Logistics and Technologies Ltd. Allegations have been levelled against this institution in the past regarding firearms-related transactions. When it is announced that this institution, which is allegedly involved in firearms-related transactions, will be shut down, the question that we have is whether these allegations will also be swept under the rug.”

Nagamuwa also alleged that another named institution has been implicated in financial irregularities, regarding which he raised similar concerns about those allegations being swept under the rug.

“Do not sweep these corruption and fraud cases under the rug through these measures,” he said, opining that the Government was not voted in to do such things. He further opined that these steps, which he said are hasty, amount to a betrayal of the public mandate.