State banks should be protected as national assets – Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that state banks are national assets and they should be protected. He said this at a discussion with trade union representatives which was held at Temple Trees on Friday (16).

Trade Union activities and institutional issues were discussed at during the discussion.

The representatives of the trade unions presented many points regarding the restructuring of institutions, alternative proposals on preservation and maintenance of institutions.

The Prime Minister said: “We are of the opinion that these state banks should be preserved as a national resource. There is no any issue regarding this. But we should have discussions on how to make some changes. Otherwise unilateral decisions might have been taken.

“At present since we have recovered from the economic crisis to some extent, we should endeavour to protect state banks.

It should be discussed at length on measures that can be taken regarding this matter.

“A serious situation has arisen due to the loans given to several large-scale entrepreneurs.

“It is a fabricated story that state banks have confronted with a bankruptcy due to lending large amount of money to politicians, and the only option to recover from this situation is to sell it to a private company.

“We should not be fooled by such stories and intervene to safeguard these three banks in a special way.

“Some problems have been raised with the establishment of estate villages. Identification of specific areas for setting up estate villages is not yet complete.

“New houses are not built in any way in areas higher than 3,500 feet. It is a Government decision. Those areas are gradually released to forest conservation.

“According to the international climate change agreement that we have currently agreed upon, estates above three thousand feet can be maintained without residents.

Currently discussions on measures that can be taken on the houses that were built in such higher lands are in progress. There are only 143,000 estate house owners reside in estates. Others do not reside in estates.”

State Minister Sisira Jayakody, former Minister MP Gamini Lokuge, Prime Minister’s Trade Union Coordinating Secretary Attorney Thushara Dissanayake, President of the Public Service United Trade Union Federation W. A. Piyadasa, Podujana Pragathisheeli Sewaka Sangamaya Secretary Bandula Saman Kumara and other representatives of many trade union federations attended.

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