Former Minister Ali Sabry has warned that governments should not run businesses, citing the latest financial results of SriLankan Airlines as a stark reminder of the inefficiencies and losses involved.
In a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), Sabry argued that the state’s role should be limited to regulation, facilitation, and ensuring fair competition, rather than directly competing with the private sector. “Running an airline, a hotel, or a trading company is not the role of the state,” he said.
He also cautioned against comparing Sri Lanka’s state-run enterprises with international giants such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, or Chinese carriers, noting that these operate in vastly different economic and governance environments.
Sabry suggested a model where the government acts as an enabler, ensuring transparency, competition, and tax collection, while professionals and entrepreneurs drive efficiency and growth. He added that only essential public utilities such as electricity, water, and petroleum should remain under state ownership due to their strategic and social significance.
“Governments are meant to govern, not to do business,” he said, warning that continuing to run enterprises like SriLankan Airlines leads to colossal public losses that could otherwise be invested in education, health, and digital infrastructure.
