Sri Lanka’s government is considering multiple options to restructure state-owned enterprises; however, there is no fixed model in place. Speaking at an investment forum yesterday, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando said that alternatives such as privatization, management changes, or amalgamations were on the table and assured that the government will take the best course of action.

He added that the government did not aim to run businesses solely for profit but would intervene where necessary.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s cabinet has reversed a 2024 decision to liquidate the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), a long-time loss-making enterprise. The government approved a plan to restart CWE operations under a “feasible business plan,” despite concerns over taxpayer burden. CWE’s losses had exceeded 15 billion Sri Lankan rupees by 2019, with its financial situation in the following years unclear.