Will the next fuel shipment arrive via a company owned by a Rajapaksa?

Now there is no fuel even for essential services. We see in the media how other parties are supplied with fuel under the guise of essential services. Individuals who are actually engaged in essential services are seen in queues. At present people are so desperate that they request authorities for fuel supplies- imported from anywhere- even at a higher price. “This whole situation is a planned one,” Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Champika Ranawaka said. The Government did not have any plan to obtain fuel before the country ran out of fuel reserves. “They tried to import fuel through 14 suppliers other than the ones who are registered with us to supply fuel.

Rajapaksa family members are misusing this crisis. The vessel that recently imported crude oil to Sri Lanka belongs to the company which helped Rohitha Rajapaksa launch his rocket. The price rates of the fuel- brought by the vessel- were peculiar. Some are using the crisis to do business. If we obtain fuel from a registered company there is accountability for the stock. Now fuel is not imported through a tender process. We make payments once a vessel arrives. A barrel of fuel brought in that vessel costs six US dollars more than the market price. We received details with regards to these dealings,” he said. 

The Government allowed for a fuel crisis in the country and increased the fuel price. In addition Cabinet approval was given to hand over Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) fuel stations to the private sector. The CPC has around 1200 registered fuel stations out of which 300 are directly under its purview. According to a CPC top official the Cabinet has given approval to hand over 50 CPC fuel stations to the IOC and the rest to other foreign companies on the basis of supplying fuel. “Private fuel stations registered with the CPC are allowed to distribute fuel with any employer of their choice and even change the registration,” he said.