Sinhala State enterprises: SriLankan Airlines, Railway Dept. & Ceylon Petroleum Corp are now crashing with Hugh Loss.!! Result of Tamil Oppression.???

State enterprises crashing-UNP

By Kelum Bandara and Melanie Bamunusinghe

The UNP charged yesterday that State enterprises such as SriLankan Airlines, the Railway Department and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation are now crashing with losses running to billions of rupees.

UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake told a news conference yesterday that, last year, the national carrier had suffered a loss of Rs.9.98 billion, Mihin Lanka Rs.3.8 billion and the Ceylon Electricity Board Rs. 39 billion.

Besides, Mr. Karunanayake said that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority had recorded a loss of Rs Rs.3.5 billion, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Rs.7.1 billion, the Sri Lanka Central Transport Board Rs. 4.5 billion and the Road Development Rs.9.9 billion.“I just mentioned some of the State enterprises making losses currently. There are many others performing badly. In the meantime, tax upon tax has been imposed on the people leaving them in the lurch,” he said.

He said a litre of petrol is Rs.132 today of which 82 percent is various taxes .In the same way the Government has levied taxes amounting to Rs. 125 on a packet of 400 gram milk powder packet.

“The Government collects Rs. 35 in terms of taxes from a kilo of sprats, Rs.40 from a kilo of chillies and Rs. 16 from a kilo of sugar. This is how the masses are burdened,” he said.

Asked how the UNP would revamp these loss making State bodies under its future government, Mr. Karunanayake said that his party could convert them into profitable ventures by ‘rooting out’ corruption and instituting proper management. He said there was no need for the privatization of them at all.

“These State ventures are run at a loss because of rampant corruption, inefficiency and ineptness of this Government. We will not go against the wishes of people. There is no need for privatization. We can make them profitable ventures by rooting out corruption,” Mr. Karunanayake said.

Referring to Mihin Lanka, he said that it is a company established for the benefit of a handful of persons.

“It does not bring any benefit for the ordinary people. So, there is no need to keep entities that are not beneficial to the people,” he said.

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