News
Kanchana admits consumers charged Rs. 50 per litre of fuel to settle USD 700 mn Indian loan
… USD 5 mn paid to Iran a month
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has confirmed that consumers of petrol and diesel have been made to pay Rs. 50 to Rs. 55 per litre since the middle of last year to settle what the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owed its creditors.
Minister Wijesekera said so when Chamuditha Samarawickrema raised the issue on ‘Salakuna’ live political programme on Hiru TV recently.
SJB trade unionist Ananda Palitha disclosed the CPC move in an interview with The Island recently. The former UNP trade union leader said that a litre of petrol 92 cost Rs. 366, Octane 95 Rs. 464, Auto Diesel Rs. 358 and Super Diesel Rs. 475 because the CPC passed its debt on to consumers. A litre of Kerosene is sold at Rs. 236.
Wijesekera said: “CPC owed USD 730 to suppliers. In addition, the CPC owed the two State Banks – Bank of Ceylon and People’s Bank Rs 199 bn. Under the Indian credit line, the CPC procured petroleum products to the tune of USD 700 mn from April to August 2022. We also owe Iran USD 240 mn as payments couldn’t be made due to international sanctions that had been in place at that time.”
With a view to easing pressure on the two State Banks, the CPC settled the entire amount owed to them, Minister Wijesekera said. The improvement of the financial situation due to the revision of fuel pricing formula enabled the CPC to repay Rs 150 bn out of Rs 199 bn. “We have settled the total amount owed to the People’s Bank and the Bank of Ceylon debt was brought down to approximately Rs 50 bn.”
Minister Wijesekera said that the CPC faced a major crisis as supplies had been disrupted due to their failure to pay suppliers. Of USD 730 mn debt, the CPC owed China about USD 400 mn, Minister Wijesekera said, disclosing China had initiated legal action against Sri Lanka in this regard. On a priority basis the CPC had settled the entire USD 730 mn owed to suppliers.
Commenting on the Indian credit-line used by the CPC to the tune of USD 700 mn, Minister Wijesekera said that the Treasury had undertaken to settle that amount. The minister contradicted Ananda Palitha’s claim that the Treasury had taken over the entire CPC debt amounting to USD 3 bn. According to him, consumers were charged Rs 50 to Rs 55 as excise duty per a litre of petrol and diesel to cover USD 700 mn Indian loan.
Referring to the long overdue payment for Iranian crude, Minister Wijesekera said it was being repaid in monthly installments of USD 5 mn each.
Responding to another query, Minister Wijesekera said that the CPC had been in debt to the tune of Rs 2 trillion. The Treasury had taken the bigger share of that amount including the USD 700 mn Indian credit line, he said. Asked whether Sinopec and Lanka IOC benefited from the Rs 50 to Rs 55 excise duty, Minister Wijesekera declared that money ended up with the Treasury.
Minister Wijesekera said that although diesel was subjected to tax it was not used to generate electricity now. Furnace oil and naphtha weren’t subject to taxes, he said, adding that the CPC didn’t make profits by supplying furnace oil to the CEB.
Asked why Sri Lanka didn’t obtain fuel supplies from Russia but almost entirely depend on Singapore based trading firms, Minister Wijesekera said that there were about 10 suppliers and the CPC followed tender procedures.
Minister Wijesekesa said that after Sri Lanka had finalized agreement with the IMF in respect of the USD 2.9 bn loan package, the CPC didn’t accept unsolicited bids.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
