Privatization Predicament and Shari’ah Compliant Alternate Solutions

This paper proposes viable Shariah based alternate solutions to the privatization dilemma. Instead of privatization through outright sale of national assets, equivalent funds can be raised through long term Shariah structures without alienating national assets permanently. This will help safeguard public welfare and in the line with Maqsaid al-Shari'ah, Hifzal al-Mall, and Mamala fiqh Marsala. Privatization of national assets is generally a matter of great public interest. This paper reviews reasonable arguments which do exist on both sides of the divide. Nevertheless, once privatization has been done reversing the process would be neither fair, nor justifiable and hence the balance of convenience in this public policy matter tilts, somewhat in favor of not privatizing national assets, if reasonable alternates are available, or possible for achieving most, if not all of the objectives which the privatization process is expected to achieve without permanently alienating national assets.