News
CPC reveals its paltry fuel supplies
By Shiran Ranasinghe
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said yesterday that it had only 6,000 tonnes of petrol and 12,000 tonnes of diesel. As a result, about 80% of the country’s gas stations remain closed.
However, a ship carrying 40,000 tonnes of diesel arrived yesterday. This is the last fuel shipment under the current Indian credit line. The government was finalising another Indian credit line to the tune of USD 500 million for fuel, the CPC said.
Sri Lanka needs about 3,500 tonnes of petrol, 6,000 tonnes of diesel and about 800 tonnes of kerosene, a day.
“We are trying to ensure that there is some level of petrol availability”, a CPC official said.
President of the All Ceylon Filling Station Owners Association, Shelton Fernando, said that the CPC now insisted that gas station owners make cash payments when orders were placed for fuel.
“A lot of gas station owners now do not even order fuel. We need to pay the CPC about five million rupees to order a bowser of petrol and a bowser of diesel. It wouldn’t be a problem if we get the bowser soon afterwards. There are delays in delivery of fuel.
Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery is now producing 825 tonnes of diesel, 320 tonnes of petrol and 620 tonnes of kerosene a day. If the refinery does not receive a new shipment of crude oil soon, it will have to close down again on 28 June, according to trade unionists.
The CPC official said that after 70 days of closure, the refinery had started producing furnace oil, tar, diesel, kerosene, naphtha and petrol, and the government had to do everything in its power to keep it functioning.
“What is being produced at Sapugaskanda now plays a vital role in fuel supply. However, the refinery is not working at full capacity and what it produces is nowhere near what the country requires”, he said.
The 90,000 tonnes of crude oil that the country has purchased was only adequate for 20-25 days, he said.
“If the government fails to get a new crude oil shipment, we will have to close down again. Even if the refinery operates at full capacity, it can process 5,500 tonnes of fuel a day. However, the government’s priority has not been to purchase crude, and therefore we are operating at half capacity,” he said.
The official said that the CPC had been able to provide some kerosene shipments after Sapugaskanda recommenced operations.
According to him the refinery needed a continuous supply of crude oil because the process of closing and restarting was bad for the facility and time-consuming.
In 2021, there were those who claimed that importing diesel and petrol directly was more profitable than operating a refinery, the official said. “However, we have seen the result of this hare-brained scheme. Kerosene queues are a permanent fixture of daily life. Many industries face furnace oil shortages and there is a shortage of tar.
Crude oil should be at the top of the government’s import priorities,” he said.
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
