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AG: CPC continues to make excess payments to distributors
Auditor General W. P. C. Wickremaratne yesterday told The Island that the continuing controversy over payment of undue commissions to dealers highlighted the failure on the part of successive administrations to address such serious issues.
Asked whether the excess payments had been stopped after he brought the corrupt practice to the notice of the Parliament and other relevant authorities, Wickremaratne said that the filling station owners had obtained an interim order against the CPC’s decision to reduce payments.
Asked to explain, the AG said that the marketing department of the CPC had made payments above the rate that was recommended by the Board of Directors of the state enterprise. “The issue at hand is how this has continued for over eight years,” Wickremaratne said while declining to comment on the continuation of the controversial payments due to the court intervention.
Wickremaratne said that the Board of Directors of the CPC owed an explanation why it failed to halt illegal payments made by the marketing department or whether it was brought to the notice of higher authorities. The official said that a major system change could have been effected if governments acted on findings made by the State audit and highlighted by various parliamentary committees.
With regard to the CPC scam, Wickremeratne identified the involvement of two senior officials.
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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