Government Halts Privatization of 8 State Enterprises, Attorney General Informs Supreme Court

The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court on April 2 that the current government has decided not to implement the previous administration's plan to sell 8 state-owned enterprises. This significant policy reversal was communicated during the hearing of a fundamental rights petition filed by Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara and others, which challenged the proposed privatization. The entities in question include Sri Lanka Telecom, Air Lanka, several insurance companies, and Lanka Hospitals. The government clarified that a committee has been established solely for the reorganization of these companies, not for their divestiture. The petition was heard before a three-judge Supreme Court bench.