31.   The unions have also stalled efforts to divest the massive electricity utility.

32.   This has been the case in the United Kingdom where the privatization of electricity utilities has precipitated significant merger and acquisition activity.

33.   He said the Communist policy was to defend and build the public sector, and to retain in public hands the transport, telecommunications and electricity generating utilities.

34.   Employees of the public gas and electricity utilities are also due to strike Thursday.

35.   The privatisation of DVB was being seen as a test case for that of other state-run electricity distribution utilities all over the country.

36.   The state government of neighbouring Victoria announced Monday that it had sold the electricity utility for which a bid by Electricite de France was withdrawn last week.

37.   Sri Lanka is currently facing a major energy crisis with the state-run electricity utility enforcing a five hour daily power cut because of a shortage of electricity.