Clergy cry against controversial Bill

Tuesday, 8 November 2011 01:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Influential Buddhist clergy yesterday joined the campaign against the controversial takeover bill ahead of it being tabled before the Parliament tomorrow.

Led by Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha, Incumbant of the Kotte Nagaviharaya, the clergy group told media that they were against the proposed Revival of Underperforming and Underutilised Assets Bill that seeks to nationalise 37 companies.

They charged that the government is ignoring the loss making State owned enterprises outlined by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and attempting to worsen the situation by taking over private enterprises.

“There is no logic behind this bill,” Ven. Sobitha insisted, flanked by four other monks. “When we see that every single company taken over by the government previously is loss making and consider the potential this bill has of driving away foreign investment we cannot make sense of it.”

He also pointed out that the Sevanagala and Pelwatta plantations were previously part of the government and were sold because they could not be managed. “So they had their chance and the government proved that it could not do a proper job. So where is the justification for taking it a second time?” The priest also charged that the burden of paying taxes would also be increased on the people for the government’s “irresponsible” actions.

The head priest of the Malwatte chapter has also written to the president dissuading him from going ahead with the bill. The priests request the government to at least allow the private owners to present proposals to convert the companies into profit making and allow people to express their opinions by removing it from being tabled as an emergency bill.

“If the government must do this then they should give the chance to amend the bill leaving out profit making companies.”

The contention is focused on the fact that two profit making sugar companies are also on the list. Sevanagala Sugar Plantation, which is part of the list, in particular has received must attention as it belongs to a key opposition politician.

Ahead of the possible takeover pro-government workers took over the factory, chased off the managers and had taken custody of a large stock of sugar.

Critiques charge that the bill is being introduced to exert control over opposition politicians and the government has no rationale in taking over profit making companies given its track record for loss making State owned enterprises.

“The responsibility of the government is to support and strengthen private enterprises. It must not take over private companies that are profit making and giving employment to thousands of people. This will also discourage foreign direct investment to the country,” said Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha.

Concerned over the takeover top private sector representatives, business chambers and the Bar Association of Ceylon have all voiced their opposition of the bill to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In addition the business chambers of Ampara, Anuradhpura, central province, Uva province, Sabaragamuwa, Jaffna, Kurunegala, Mannar, Matale, Puttalam, Wayamba, Matara, Central Province, Vavuniya and Polonnaruwa have also sent letters to the president against the proposed bill.