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The provincial government has confirmed 11 private companies have expressed interest in buying a portion of Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).

But Premier Brad Wall said meetings recently attended in Toronto by SGI Minister Joe Hargrave were not related to the future of the Crown-owned insurer.

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Wall said the meetings were in Hargrave’s role as Crown Investments Corporation minister and are held regularly.

However, the NDP Opposition believes the Saskatchewan Party is laying the groundwork for a sell-off of the province’s Crown corporations.

NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon said Wall is “ramming something forward for which he has no mandate.”

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Last month, Saskatchewan passed legislation that would allow the sale of up to 49 per cent of a Crown corporation.

The new law comes as speculation swirls that the province is looking to sell a sizeable portion of SaskTel.

The government also confirmed that it has approved what SGI president Andrew Cartmell calls “merit and short-term incentives” for SGI managers.

Last year, 350 employees received an average of $8,700 each in such payments.