Why does Sri Lanka need a national airline when india doesnt have one? Prof. Rohan Samarajiva
Amidst a whopping amount of losses national carrier SriLankan Airlines has been making for years, LIRNEasia Founding Chair and Advocata Institute Advisor Prof. Rohan Samarajiva questioned why Sri Lanka would need a national carrier when India, the neighbour, does not have one.
During a press briefing organised by Advocata Institute on “The Urgency of State Owned Enterprise Reforms”, Prof. Samarajiva stated that SriLankan Airlines should be privatised to not only save public money, but to also improve the credibility of the country by showing the country’s creditors that Sri Lanka is genuinely committed to meeting its debt payments.
Prof. Samarajiva pointed to the fact that Sri Lankan is hemorrhaging around Rs. 47 billion in losses per annum and questioned the rationality of using public funds collected through commodity taxes from a person who has never even gone near the airport.
Broad SOE reforms urged for SL to regain confidence of external creditors
With the government’s current approach appearing to be failing in its ability to meet upcoming external debt servicing commitments, the Colombo-based policy think tank Advocata Institute urged the government to roll out a broad reform package targeting ‘strategically important’ State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as a way to regain confidence of the country’s external creditors, illustrating the determination to resolve the prolonged structural issues in the economy.
According to data presented by Advocata, the cumulative losses incurred by key SOEs were estimated at Rs.1.2 trillion during 2006-2020, while the total SOE debt reached to 9 percent of GDP in 2020. The top five SOEs alone incurred an estimated Rs.384.48 million loss per day burdening both State coffers and ultimately the taxpayer.
“Sri Lanka lacks credibility in its approach to the creditor. In the current context, it’s not possible for us to increase revenue. Therefore, what we have to focus is on cutting expenses. This will send a strong message of responsibility and of commitment to anyone who has given us loans and they will say, ‘this is the country we should negotiate with, because they are serious about their economic problems’,” LIRNEasia Founding Chair and Advocata Institute Advisor Prof. Rohan Samarajiva said.
State-Owned Enterprise losses mount to staggering Rs 1.2 trillion
The 55 “Strategically Important” listed State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) snowballing losses from 2006 to 2020 is a staggering Rs. 1.2 trillion. Out of the 527 state-owned enterprises the Treasury has classified 55 as “Strategically Important” it was revealed at an Advocata Institute that organised an event on “The Urgency of State-Owned Enterprise Reforms” last week.
Sri Lanka’s State-Owned Enterprises have placed a significant burden on public finances. They are also a major source of inefficiency in the economy. “Therefore the present economic crisis, along with Sri Lanka’s current debt crisis, makes reforms on SOE’s a national priority to emerge from present economic challenges,” it was opined at the event.
Advocata's event on the Urgency | News 1st: Prime Time English News | (09/12/2021)
Advocata's event on the need for the “Urgency of State Owned Enterprise Reforms” featured on Newsfirst Prime Time English News