Connect with us

News

AKD admits import of substandard coal, blames technicalities and supplier

Published

4 weeks ago

on

President

… announces temporary relief package

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday acknowledged in Parliament that the import of substandard coal had adversely impacted electricity generation.

“There’s an issue with the coal. That’s true,” the President said, addressing the House.

President Dissanayake maintained that the problem had not arisen from the tender process but from the failure of the supplier to deliver coal that met the required standards. “The issue did not arise from the tender process. It resulted from the supplier’s failure to deliver coal that met the required standards. I would also like to point out that coal is not tested by individuals through simple inspection or personal judgment; it is examined in certified laboratories,” he said.

The President went on to say that coal shipments are tested through certified laboratories before dispatch, and an initial payment of 80 percent was made after receiving laboratory certification confirming that the coal meets stipulated specifications.

The President said the balance 20 percent was released only after a second verification carried out by an Indian laboratory selected for the purpose in 2023. Tests had revealed that three shipments failed to meet the required specifications.

The President added that although some shipments had passed laboratory tests, operational assessments at the power plant indicated that the coal was not performing to the expected standard. As a result, the government had withheld the remaining payments for certain consignments, imposed penalties on some suppliers, and in a few instances suspended even the initial 80 percent payment.

He said the use of substandard coal would increase electricity generation costs as the shortfall would have to be compensated by alternative sources, such as diesel. However, he assured Parliament that the additional costs would be recovered from the coal suppliers and would not be passed on to consumers.

The President also said the government expected to receive the fourth and fifth tranches of financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund by the end of May. He told Parliament that Sri Lanka hoped to reach a staff-level agreement with the IMF by Thursday, which would enable the country to secure about USD 700 million in funding.

Meanwhile, the President announced a temporary increase in cash assistance under the Aswesuma welfare programme to provide relief to low-income households during the April festive season.

He said the government continued to face challenges in accurately identifying eligible beneficiaries but noted that Aswesuma remained the only available framework to determine eligibility. Under the scheme, current benefit categories include payments of Rs. 17,500, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 5,000.

For April, the Rs. 17,500 allowance will be increased by Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 25,000, while the Rs. 10,000 payment will rise by Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000. Beneficiaries in the transitional category will receive an additional Rs. 2,500. The temporary increases are expected to cost the Treasury about Rs. 8.5 billion and will apply only for the month of April.

Addressing electricity tariffs, the President said the adjustment that came into effect on April 1 had been determined earlier and was not linked to the present crisis. According to him, the increase for households consuming less than 30 units amounts to about Rs. 15 per month, while other tier increases translate to approximately Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.50 per day.

He said the government had considered three options to manage rising electricity costs: requiring the Ceylon Electricity Board to absorb the losses, transferring the burden entirely to the Treasury, or passing the cost on to consumers. Instead, the government opted for a shared approach involving the State, the public and the national power system operator.

Under this arrangement, consumers using less than 90 units of electricity will receive a subsidy during the next tariff revision. The government has allocated Rs. 5 billion per month for the programme, amounting to Rs. 15 billion over three months. The President said losses in the electricity sector during the same period were estimated at about Rs. 32 billion.

Turning to agriculture, the President outlined measures to stabilise fertiliser supply amid rising global prices. He said the Department of Agriculture currently held about 14,000 metric tonnes of urea imported at the previous price, while private companies also possessed stocks.

Following discussions with fertiliser suppliers, companies had agreed to release all remaining stocks purchased at the old price to Agrarian Service Centres. These quantities, together with government stocks, are expected to be sufficient for two paddy cultivation seasons.

However, fertiliser required for the third season would have to be imported at higher prices. The President said recent offers for urea ranged from USD 680 to USD 850 per metric tonne.

To cushion farmers from price increases, the government has decided to sell fertiliser for the third season at a fixed price of Rs. 10,200 per bag despite the estimated market price ranging between Rs. 13,500 and Rs. 14,000. The Treasury will absorb the difference, amounting to roughly Rs. 3,000 per bag, at a total estimated cost of about Rs. 1.7 billion.

The President also announced increases in fertiliser subsidies. Farmers cultivating paddy will receive Rs. 30,000 per hectare, up from Rs. 25,000, while subsidies for subsidiary crops during the Yala season will increase from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 18,000. Small tea holders will receive a one-time additional payment of Rs. 5,000 per fertiliser bag in addition to the existing Rs. 4,000 subsidy.

He said the expanded fertiliser support programme would cost the government about Rs. 6.5 billion, with an additional Rs. 600 million allocated specifically for fertiliser subsidies.

The President also outlined plans to manage rising energy costs, particularly in the fuel sector. He said the government had considered allowing fuel prices to fully reflect market costs or introducing a subsidy mechanism.

According to current estimates, he said, diesel would exceed Rs. 600 per litre if sold strictly at cost. Instead, the government has decided to maintain the existing tax structure and provide Treasury-funded subsidies.

Under the proposed scheme, diesel will receive a subsidy of up to Rs. 100 per litre, while petrol will receive up to Rs. 20 per litre. Fuel prices will continue to be adjusted based on monthly cost calculations, with the next revision scheduled for May 1.

The subsidy programme is expected to cost around Rs. 20 billion per month and will operate for three months at an estimated total cost of Rs. 60 billion.

In addition, fishermen will receive targeted assistance. Small fishing boats will qualify for an extra Rs. 50 per litre fuel subsidy for up to 625 litres per month, credited directly to bank accounts. This will provide a monthly benefit of Rs. 31,250 per boat.

Multi-day fishing vessels will receive a fuel allowance of Rs. 150,000 per vessel during the three-month subsidy period, the President said.

By Saman Indrajith


Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Colombo, Gampaha, Hambantota and Monaragala districts during the day time

Published

5 hours ago

on

2026/05/4

By

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 03 May 2026, valid for 04 May 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Colombo, Gampaha, Hambantota and Monaragala districts during the day time.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.


Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

Continue Reading

News

USD 3.7 bn H’tota refinery: China won’t launch project without bigger local market share

Published

6 hours ago

on

2026/05/4

By

China has declared that China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) will not proceed with the USD 3.7 bn Hambantota oil refinery project unless a consensus could be reached on the percentage of the output that could be sold in the local market.

China has informed the NPP government that SINOPECwill not be able to sustain the project in terms of the original agreement that stipulated that 80% of the output be exported and 20 % sold in the Sri Lankan market, according to sources familiar with the issue.

Once fully operational, the strategic facility will be able to process 200,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The proposed facility, together with the Hambantota International port, which was taken over by China in 2017 on a 99-year lease, emphasise significant Chinese presence in the country.

SINOPEC with about 12% market share is among the foreign companies engaged in fuel distribution in Sri Lanka at the moment. Other foreign players are Lanka India Oil Company (LIOC) and joint venture by Shell Brands International AG (Shell) and RM Parks (Private) Limited, the latter being the latest entrant.

LIOC entered the market way back in 2003 during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the Prime Minister. LIOC holds the second biggest market share with 211 fuel stations with SINOPEC being third and joint Shell Brands International AG (Shell) and RM Parks (Private) Limited in fourth place. CPC remains the market leader with some 800 odd fuel stations countrywide.

Sources said that whatever the Chinese and Sri Lankan government representatives said in public the launch of the project primarily would depend on a new formula. The Island learns that the Chinese expect to sell 30% of the output here. “The Chinese are of the view that 20% share is not sufficient to sustain the project,” sources said.

Sri Lanka and China in January 2025 announced plans for the SINOPEC project dubbed the largest single Chinese direct investment here following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s three-day state visit to Beijing. Dissanayake’s delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake, and Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, Majintha Jayesinghe. Outspoken Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong was also present at all key meetings with representatives of China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC Group), China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), China Merchants Group (CMG), Huawei, and BYD Auto, a leading company in the automobile manufacturing sector.

Pointing out that Sri Lanka and China hadn’t been able to resolve the knotty problem for about 15 months, sources said that Sri Lanka was also under pressure from India to expedite the Trincomalee oil tank farm development project. Sri Lanka finalized an agreement with India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) in early April 2025 to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub.

Sources said that in line with the overall plans involving China as well as India-UAE, Sri Lanka was required to enhance the fuel storage facilities as soon as possible. The ongoing West Asia conflict underscored the responsibility on the part of the incumbent dispensation to take tangible measures to enhance storage facilities.

The Trincomalee and Hambantota projects could be on a collision course, sources said. The likelihood of Indo-Lanka agreements in respect of WW two era oil tank farms in Trincomalee, particularly the one negotiated during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency having animpact on the Hambantota oil refinery couldn’t be ruled out, sources said.

President Dissanayake during his May Day address disclosed the crisis faced by his government in ensuring uninterrupted oil supplies. Dissanayake said that the government had no option but to increase fuel quotas given to various categories in view of the arrival of fuel ships in Colombo as Sri Lanka lacked storage facilities.

Sources said that energy insecurity was at stake due to the continuing instability in the global markets caused by US actions in Hormuz Strait.

Newly-appointed Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake is believed to be engaged in consultations with relevant parties. Earlier Punyakumara Dissanayake who resigned recently over the coal scam handled the Hambantota refinery matter.

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Continue Reading

News

Administrators oppose govt. move to deploy Clean Sri Lanka agents in District and Divisional Secretariats

Published

6 hours ago

on

2026/05/4

By

The Sri Lanka Association of Divisional Secretaries and Assistant Divisional Secretaries (SLADA) has written to the Secretary to the President requesting the withdrawal of a decision to appoint “Clean Sri Lanka” coordinators at provincial, district and divisional levels, warning that it could seriously undermine the independence of the public service.

In a letter, signed by SLADA President R. Senthil and Secretary R. M. Nuwan C. Hemakumara, the Association has referred to a directive issued by the Secretary to the President, dated March 20, 2026, instructing District Secretaries to appoint coordinators for the programme and to provide them with facilities within Divisional Secretariat offices.

The Association has noted that Sri Lanka already has a long-established administrative framework to ensure effective public service delivery, spanning ministries, departments, provincial councils, district and divisional secretariats down to Grama Niladhari divisions. This system is supported by internal audit units, the National Audit Office, and coordination committees at divisional, district and national levels, which oversee and review programme implementation.

The SLADA has acknowledged that specific officers have already been assigned at divisional level to implement activities under the government’s Clean Sri Lanka initiative, which is being monitored

through existing community development committees and coordination mechanisms.

The association has expressed concern over the appointment of separate coordinators at district and divisional levels and the instruction to allocate office space and attach public officials to support them. It has argued that divisional secretariats are neutral public service institutions that provide services to all citizens without political, religious or ethnic bias, and that their independence must be safeguarded.

While acknowledging some isolated instances of politically influenced conduct by a small number of officials, SLADA stressed that the overall administrative structure has functioned as an independent and depoliticised system that has earned public trust.

The association further pointed out that the current government’s policy framework emphasises efficient and impartial public service delivery without interference in the independence of state institutions.

It has warned that appointing politically connected coordinators within divisional secretariats and attaching government-paid officials to them could seriously compromise administrative neutrality and may also raise legal concerns.

SLADA said previous attempts to introduce similar arrangements had been resisted, adding that the current system already allows for effective coordination, monitoring and review of government programmes, including Clean Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, the Association urged the President’s Secretary to revoke the decision and allow existing administrative mechanisms to handle programme implementation. It warned that any such precedent could have long-term adverse implications for the independence of the public service, and expressed hope for a reconsideration of the directive, stating that it would not cooperate with the current arrangement unless the request is addressed.

Continue Reading

Trending