Minister of Trade Nalin Fernando says that the government is working to withdraw from the Co-operative service programme.However, the minister emphasized that if the Co-operative service is affected by the government’s intervention, the government should refrain from intervening in its activities.“We are now thinking about how the government can leave the Co-operatives business”, he said.“We can only move forward with this program if the Co-operative suggests itself on what kind of intervention [from the govt.] they need and how they need that intervention to happen.

We should then move with those suggestions.”“Therefore, especially the Prime Minister and I were thinking to take decisions in this regard in the near future”, he added.