… questions Kariyawasam’s agenda: President sets the record straight

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (13) told a hastily arranged media briefing at his Ministry that the economy was in such bad shape that the government couldn’t have further delayed the upward revision of fuel prices.

Attorney-at-law Gammanpila revealed that the Central Bank in a missive dated May 31 strongly advised the Treasury to increase fuel prices or face the consequences.

Minister Gammanpila, who is also the leader of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya emphasized that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, authorized the price increase.

Minister Gammanpila said so in response to SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam’s scathing attack on him over the price increase.

Kariyawasam, in a statement issued on behalf of the SLPP, questioned Minister Gammanpila’s motives. The National List MP went to the extent of questioning whether Minister Gammanpila pursued a hidden agenda to undermine the SLPP and its leadership.

Soon after the conclusion of Minister Udaya Gammanpila’s media briefing yesterday, the Presidential Secretariat issued a statement explaining the circumstances leading to the fuel price hike. The statement essentially endorsed the views expressed by Minister Gammanpila at the briefing.

The Presidential Secretariat explained that the primary reason for the price hike was that the CPC owed a staggering Rs 652 to the Bank of Ceylon and the People’s Bank whereas the CEB owed Rs 85 bn to the same banks.

Minister Gammanpila told the media that if Kariyawasam issued a statement in his capacity as an MP, he would have ignored it. However, the issues raised on behalf of the SLPP couldn’t be disregarded, Minister Gammanpila said, revealing that he announced the price increase on June 11 in the wake of a committee chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa deciding on the move on June 09.

According to Minister Gammanpila, the committee comprised President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawadena, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Power Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa and State Ministers Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Lasantha Alagiyawanna and himself.

Minister Gammanpila said that before he made the announcement Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa furnished written approval for the increase. Referring to MP Kariyawasam’s letter that demanded Minister Gammanpila’s immediate resignation over fuel price hike, the PHU leader emphasized that it was a government decision.

Gammanpila said that the SLPP General Secretary shouldn’t find fault with him for a collective decision taken by a committee headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Having explained the financial crisis that had been caused by growing losses due to underpricing of fuel, Minister Gammanpila claimed that he was able to prevent fuel price increases on three occasions by making representations to the Treasury since he became the Energy Minister. However, the Treasury had ruled out interventions in the current situation, Minister Gammanpila said, asserting that the accumulation of losses were a very heavy burden on the banking sector. Declaring that the Petroleum Corporation owed banks as much as over Rs 600 bn, Minister Gammanpila warned of possible collapse of the banking sector if remedial measures weren’t taken.

Responding to a query, Minister Gammanpila said that he volunteered to make the announcement at his expense as he wanted to save President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to the PHU leader, State Minister Cabraal attended his media briefing as Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s representative. Actually, MP Kariyawasam had lambasted the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa by issuing a statement therefore the issue at hand was who should accept responsibility for wholly unnecessary development and resign.

MP Kariyawasam didn’t answer his mobile phone.

Claiming that SLPP leader Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa and its Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris hadn’t been aware of Kariyawasam’s missive, Minister Gammanpila asked who gave the MP authority to issue such a statement.

Minister Gammanpila side-stepped query whether SLPP strategist Basil Rajapaksa was behind the move. A smiling Minister Gammanpila said that Basil Rajapaksa wasn’t behind him. The Minister wanted the media to raise it with lawmaker Kariyasawam.

Responding to another query, Minister Gammanpila questioned the rationale in Kariyawasam’s actions, while making reference to the SLPP General Secretary previously taking on National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa in the wake of the latter urging the SLPP to accommodate President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the decision making process of the party.

Minister Gammanpila said that five years ago the public didn’t know who Sagara Kariyawasam was. However, in the wake of Kariyawasam’s battle with Minister Weerawansa, people got to know him. “My mother, a retired principal, inquired from me who Sagara Kariyawasam was after he demanded Minister Weerawansa’s resignation,” lawmaker Gammanpila said.

Minister Gammanpila said that Kariyawasam’s objectives needed to be examined. The minister declined to reveal what President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa told him after SLPP General Secretary demanded his resignation.

Minister Gammanpila strongly defended the decision to increase fuel prices regardless of the difficulties experienced by the public.