News
Patali wants experts to investigate irregularities in oil procurement
CID can’t understand what’s going on
By Sirimatha Rathnasekera
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, on Thursday (25), sent a letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe asking for an investigation to determine if there had been irregularities in the procurement of fuel.MP Ranawaka said that Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera last week had asked the CID to investigate the activities at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, and the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL). However, the police were not capable of determining if irregularities were taking place in such a complex system, the SJB MP said.
“The Auditor General must carry out this investigation, with the support of professionals, who have experience in auditing fuel procurement. This must be done by experts and not by policemen,” he said.
MP Ranawaka also said that a third party was making a killing from importing Russian crude oil to Sri Lanka. He said that Russia exports crude at a lower rate between 20 and 30 US dollars, than crude produced by other oil producing nations.
“However, we calculate the worth of the shipments based on the Brent crude index. So, there is a difference in what we pay and what we actually have to pay. Someone pockets that markup. Because of this the consumer has to pay between 46 and 69 rupees extra for a litre of fuel,” he said.
Ranawaka also said that the economic issues were not sorted out. Sri Lanka had been able to secure adequate quantities of gas because of World Bank aid.
“The World Bank used some money it had earmarked for other projects for us to buy gas. The fuel issue is not over. There is a diesel shortage now. There is a 33 percent drop in the consumption of diesel compared to the beginning of the year. Diesel is used mainly by vehicles that are involved in economic activities and therefore we can assume that there is a drop in economic activity. There is a 20% drop in electricity consumption,” he said.The government believed that IMF assistance was a panacea but implementing an IMF programme was not easy as it is linked to restructuring debt, Ranawaka said.
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
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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