Many questions have gone unanswered

Statement of Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa made under Standing Order 27(2) made in Parliament on 24.02.2022

The government, which is unable to manage the country’s foreign exchange deficit, has now plunged the country into a serious energy crisis. In the past few months, people have had to wait in queues for hours on end to buy a domestic gas cylinder even while gas cylinders were exploding in the kitchen. Nowadays, people have to line up in front of petrol sheds to refuel their vehicles. In addition, some filling stations have already started refueling on their own ration schemes. I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to the fact that a large number of factory owners called me yesterday and today and told me that the factories have become inactive due to the non-operation of buses which are unable to transport employees working in those factories. Also, there is no fuel today to operate the generators in those factories.

Hon Speaker, there has been no significant increase in the demand for electricity in Sri Lanka in recent times and the main reason for the power crisis is the inability to supply fuel required to generate 2700 MW per day. A / L students have to face their exams in the midst of power outages – in the dark. Absence of an uninterrupted power supply is having a serious impact on small and medium scale industries and the emerging tourism industry. With the exception of the competitive media statements made by Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, the Ministers of Energy and Power, the government is still keeping most parts of the country in darkness for about five hours a day.

Hon. Speaker, further complicating the crisis, the Governor of the Central Bank has issued a notification to the Commercial Banks to be mindful of credit limits in disbursing funds to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. The price of a barrel of crude oil has reached around US $ 97 in the world market by now, and today it has crossed $ 100, and there is a risk that it will rise further.

Hon. Speaker, I would like to mention that at this moment Russia has declared war on Ukraine and activated that aggressive process. I would like to ask if this government has a plan, what are the possible economic, social, political and diplomatic implications for our country in this emerging situation? How to avoid them? I would also like to know if there is any plan for this. Also, Hon. Speaker, I would like to specifically mention that according to the Tea Board, our tea exports to Ukraine last year amounted to 4.8 million kilograms. We exported 427.3 million kg to Russia – 1.49% of exports to Ukraine and 9.57% to Russia. Also, a situation has been created today where various countries impose sanctions on Russia. In this context, I would like to ask Hon Gammanpila, in particular, whether this Government has a solution to the problem that has already become a serious issue in our country.

The Ministers who fail to find solutions to these problems are holding ceremonies to welcome an oil tanker when it arrives at the port. They also blame the public for their own inability to raise enough foreign exchange to buy fuel, claiming that they – the general public – consume too much electricity and drive too much.

Now some people are using this time to say that cycling is more eco-friendly than using automobiles. I accept that, as a matter of policy, there are some positive aspects to it. But I would like to remind you, Hon. Speaker, I would like to ask you, do you remember the guys who came to this Parliament on bicycles a few years ago when the price of oil went up by a paltry sum? Today no one has the backbone to at least come to this House and talk about the problems facing this country. They marketed themselves as a group of people consisting of scholarly, heroic, talented, patriotic and devoted personalities. We can see how this patriotism is overflowing now.

If priority or even minimal management knowledge was to be put into the country’s energy security, it should have led the way to a planned fuel purchase based on a proper forecast for the country’s energy needs.

Hon Minister, you stated yesterday that there is no shortage of diesel, no shortage of petrol, no shortage of kerosene and no shortage of milk powder in this country and the only shortage available is the Dollar shortage. So I would like to ask you, what is the root cause of all of this? Tax concessions ranging from 600 to 800 billion rupees were provided to millionaires as soon as they came to power. Considering the poor financial management in the country against this backdrop, Fitch Ratings, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s downgraded the country further in their ratings. Following that downgrading, our country lost the opportunity to go to international capital markets and obtain low interest loans – dollar loans. This is the vicious circle! This government should be responsible for creating this vicious circle. You also remember very well that they, then, said that they need 20^th Amendment to build this country well – to do well. Now the 20^th Amendment is the law. But with this 20^th Amendment, a shortage of dollars has also been created. I ask you please use the powers given to you through the 20^th Amendment to rule this country properly. Today this country is wandering. Today this country is in darkness.

Accordingly, considering this as a matter of national importance, I expect specific answers and explanations from the Government to following questions:

1) Does the government accept that the country is in a serious crisis without fuel due to lack of foreign exchange? If so, please tell the country and people the steps you expect to take without continuing your ‘Eda Wela Tours’. Sometimes you go to India and bow down, sometimes go to Pakistan and bow down. And then go to the state of Qatar and bow down. Begging, wanting dollars, pinching! In this way you also sell our self-esteem for a pittance. I would like to ask what is your national policy to address this serious crisis?

2) How many metric tons of petrol and diesel do we have today for use in vehicles? How many days is it enough for? Can the Hon Minister ensure that the required quantities of fuel for vehicles can be supplied continuously without any shortage in future? Although this is not your scope, I would like to remind you, there is a serious shortage of drugs in the country today. Minister ,there are no medicines for cancer, no medicines for heart diseases, no medicines for kidney diseases, no medicines for diseases in thyroid gland. Such a situation did not exist when the Hon. Rajitha Senaratne, who made a constructive change in the health sector of our country, was the Minister of Health.

3) How much diesel and fuel oil do you need daily to run thermal power plants? How much longer can the Petroleum Corporation provide fuel out of those quantities?

4) Have you predicted how much money the country will need to get the fuel it needs at least for the next 3 months? How much is that? How to get the required foreign exchange for that? What is the program? How do you raise dollars?

5) If there is no plan to provide uninterrupted power supply, does the government, in the least, have a definite plan to disconnect power supply for the next month? So, what is it? Now the headline today is, Hon. Minister, ‘Electricity will be provided for 18-19 hours today’. Not for 24 hours. Only 18 or 19 hours. Shameful!

6) Is the government unaware that the tourism industry, which was plunged into the abyss with the Covid epidemic, and the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) could collapse further due to the lack of uninterrupted power supply? What is the government’s plan to provide uninterrupted power supply to sustain those industries? How much longer will people have to stay in the dark?

Asking these questions, I would like to remind the Hon Minister in particular that you said that you would provide scholarly solutions. You said that you would provide them out of the Oracle. You pledged that it would be provided by the Internet of Things, by Biotechnology, and by Artificial Intelligence. I kindly request you to present the solution you propose for this problem to the country and to this House.