Thanks to QR code expenditure on fuel drops from USD 500 million to USD 230 million a month

By Chaminda Silva

The government now only spent about 230 million US dollars, a month, to import fuel, following rationing, a senior officer of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said.

Earlier, the CPC had spent about 500 million US dollars, a month, on fuel imports, he said.

“Now, we issue fuel according to the QR system. So we only need about three shiploads of petrol (35,000 tonnes each) and three shiploads of diesel (40,000 tonnes each). Lanka Indian Oil Corporation imported one shipload each of petrol and diesel month, and the CPC had to import only two shiploads each of petrol and diesel, he said.

The CPC official said that some gas stations were not following the QR system to the letter. However, they had been identified and action would be taken against them, he said.

“We will soon take away their licenses. Because of the QR code, we know how much fuel is being pumped, according to the allocated quotas. Some gas station attendants think that they can manipulate the system. Unfortunately for them, we know what’s going on at the end of the month. At the end, it’s the gas station owners who will be penalised. So, it’s in their interest to ensure that fuel is pumped, according to the QR system,” he said.