GIMMICKS IN FUEL CRISIS
The QR code system introduced to reduce fuel queues has been a success so far. However, even with such a system in place people are still waiting in queues due to the failure of the Government. At present there aren’t sufficient fuel stocks to be distributed. Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Chairman Janaka Rathnayake recently said that the fuel imported by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) could be sold to the public 200 rupees less than the current price per litre. According to him, what happens to the profit raised through this method is unknown. However though the CPC is said to earn such high profits this institute ends up making losses in the end. The reason for this is the monopoly the CPC has on the fuel supply, according to critics.
The Government does not have dollars or rupees to import fuel for the next two months. According to Petroleum Trade Union Confederation Convener Ananda Palitha the Government is planning to protect the remaining fuel stocks until September. Given such a situation, the Government might try out new strategies to save the fuel stocks, according to Palitha.
One such strategy was witnessed on July 26 and that was a plan to find a solution to the fuel crisis. The plan was to allow the private sector to import fuel. The Ministry of Power posted an advertisement on July 26 in the Daily News calling for tenders. Accordingly, private companies willing to import fuel were required to submit their bids before August 8.
If that advertisement was posted to find a genuine solution to the fuel crisis in the country it can be considered as a good move. However, its success cannot be predicted as yet. It will not be a surprise if the very same people who created an artificial fuel crisis in the country, are behind the importation of fuel in this manner. Some people created an opinion in society that fuel should be imported from anywhere to reduce the queues. It is unclear whether they are trying to legalise the said strategy to earn profits by importing fuel at higher prices.
It was reported that when the country ran out of dollars when purchasing fuel, spot purchases were made from foreign companies belonging to several well connected people in the country. These companies are yet to respond to inquiries made by this newspaper. If they are now attempting to make hay while the sun shines the media should focus on their next move. If allowing the private sector to import fuel is an act of transferring the fuel monopoly to these well connected people such activities cannot be approved. However if it was carried out in a transparent manner, that would be the best option at the moment.