Sri Lanka will allow the private sector to enter ground handling, catering, and jet fuel supply operations at airports, an official said on Saturday.

The Director General of Civil Aviation, P. A. Jayakantha, told the media that these services are currently a state monopoly.

He said the government is in the process of inviting private parties to provide the above-mentioned services at Sri Lanka’s international airports.

Earlier this week, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva told journalists that Sri Lanka is already in the process of liberalising fuel supply at airports.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has decided to reform state-owned enterprises, including Sri Lankan Airlines Limited, in line with the programme inked with the International Monetary Fund.