CPC’s new pumps to cost Rs.150Mn.

*Minister,officials contradict each other on bad petrol

by Zacki Jabbar

While the Petroleum Resources Minister Susil Premajayanth and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) officials were contradicting each other over "defective" pumps,a new stock was to be imported at a cost of over Rs.150 million the main Opposition UNP said yesterday.

The loss caused due to the old pumps was around Rs.100 million.But the Minister maintained that Vital, a Singapore Company had supplied good petrol and blamed the state of the CPC’s pumps for the contamination of fuel which had damaged a large number of vehicle engines. However,CPC officials have denied that there was anything wrong with their pumps, General Secretary of the UNP Tissa Attanayake MP said.

The MP said that the Minister owed the public an explanation since the question has arisen if he was trying to protect the supplier by claiming that the pumps were defective,while officials have denied his contention.

It was a serious indictment on the government when Ministers and officials take up different stances on matters that directly affect the public,Attanayake noted.

He said that Transport Minister Kumara Welgama himself has admitted to SLTB vehicle engines being damaged by sub standard petrol. Even Ministers and the Opposition Leader had complained that their cars had been affected.

The corruption ridden CPC which was already neck deep in debt has suffered a total loss of Rs.580 million due to the import of two consignments of bad petrol.This was followed by the purchase of contaminated aviation fuel which was later sold as kerosene. Another Rs.2,400 million was owed to Standard Chartered Bank in connection with the misfired Oil Hedging Deal. Manipulation of the economy based on political agendas had resulted in the debt burden increasing by leaps and bounds,he observed.

Attanayake said that the cost of living was skyrocketting due to incompetence, lack of foresight and rampant corruption at the highest levels.

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