News
CEB saddled with USD 30,000 a day demurrage payments to ship that brought coal last Friday
By Ifham Nizam
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has failed to furnish a Letter of Credit (LoC) to a ship carrying coal that arrived here on 01 April and this has resulted in a demurrage payment of USD 30,000 a day since then, The Island reliably learns.
About 38 to 42 ships carry coal to Sri Lanka from South Africa, Russia and Indonesia annually.
CEB Chairman M. M.C. Ferdinando last week agreed that the CEB needed about six billion rupees to import the remaining four shipments of coal for the Lakviyaja Coal Power plant at Norochcholai.
“We called a spot tender for eight shipments of coal. We have already taken delivery of four. We need to open Letters of Credit for four more shipments,” the CEB Chief said at the Presidential Media Centre during a news conference on Thursday.
Although Ferdinando assured that they would find that Rs. 06 billion on 01 April, payments have not been done.
The CEB Chairman was not immediately available for comment.
Engineers believe that ships should not be delayed, but should be cleared before rough seas set in.
The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union President Anil Ranjith has told the media it is imperative that CEB take delivery of the required coal shipments at the earliest before the monsoon season begins to keep the three coal fired power plants at Norochcholai running until August. The Norochcholai power complex provide about half the electricity requirement of the country.
It is reported that the four shipments would amount to a total of 240,000 metric tonnes (MT) of coal.
The Kelanitissa Power Plant Complex has received 5,000 MT of fuel which is sufficient for three days.
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said that a vessel carrying 40, 000 MT of diesel had reached here under the Indian line of credit.
The stock of 40,000 MT of diesel that arrived here on Saturday was distributed on Sunday.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
Belgian prince loses bid for benefits on top of £300k royal allowance
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
-
Business17 hours agoColombo Coffee wins coveted management awards
-
Features2 days agoStarlink in the Global South
-
Business3 days agoDaraz Sri Lanka ushers in the New Year with 4.4 Avurudu Wasi Pro Max – Sri Lanka’s biggest online Avurudu sale
-
Business4 days agoStrengthening SDG integration into provincial planning and development process
-
Business3 days agoNew SL Sovereign Bonds win foreign investor confidence
-
Sports5 days agoTo play or not to play is Richmond’s decision
-
Features2 days agoModi’s Sri Lanka Sojourn
-
Sports4 days agoNew Zealand under 85kg rugby team set for historic tour of Sri Lanka