News
Expect blackouts if govt. goes ahead with questionable deal
By Ifham Nizam
Nearly 53,000 trade union members representing the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Ceylon Electricity Board and Ports Authority have voiced their opposition to the government’s energy deal with the US Based energy group, New Fortress.
Trade Union Alliance Convener/ Trade union member Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Ananda Palitha told The Island yesterday they would begin their picketing campaign from three places in Colombo. He also said that other unions too had expressed their support.
“We will give the government a few more days to reverse its decision, and on 06 Nov. we will resort to an all-out trade union action causing countrywide blackouts,” he warned.
Palitha said that their objective was not to topple the government, but to protect the country’s resources. “Sadly, the government, despite court cases and pleadings of the Mahananayakes and Civil Society, plays mum on the dangerous secret deal with the US.
Palitha warned the biggest countrywide protests would take place after the budget as there were plans to amend the Petroleum Act to give more powers to the Indian Oil Company. “This will be more disastrous than the LNG deal with the US,” he stressed, adding that the Trincomalee oil tanks would be handed over to the Indian control.
The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union too has urged the government and the CEB against implementing the New Fortress Energy (NFE) LNG deal.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 in order to introduce amendments to the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 including the proposed tax revisions to enhance the tax structure paving way for state financial integrity based on revenue.
Accordingly, the revised draft bill has been prepared by the legal draftsman and clearance of the Attorney General has been received.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for
the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Policy Planning and Economic Development to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently, forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The National Mineral Policy was prepared for the first time in the year 1999, and the aforementioned policy has been amended in 2023 to cover matters such as preparing an updated data system related to mineral resources, adding value to the export of minerals, encouraging mineral-related industrialists, extracting mineral resources and managing the environment sustainably, and resolving the issues related to the ownership of the land arising in extracting mineral resources.
The revised National Mineral Policy has been reupdated in line with the manifesto “A Sustainable Resource Utilization – Generation of the Highest Benefit” under the policy statement of the current government” A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution presented by the Minister of Industries and
Entrepreneurship to implement the so-formulated “National Mineral Policy—2026.”
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