Ministerial Consultative Committee on Trade seeks expert advice to resolve gas issue

The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Trade met in Parliament yesterday to seek the views and solutions of several experts linked to the gas-related fires and explosions which are being reported from countrywide.

The meeting was called by the Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena to further discuss on several issues raised pertaining to the ongoing domestic gas issues.

Several agreements regarding the change in gas composition affected the current eruptions; importance of using high quality devices; the release of gas to the market after obtaining a report on the smell of gases; obtaining the reports of the committee appointed by the President within two weeks and implementing its recommendations expeditiously; and testing the quality of the imported gas on board the ship before it enters the country, were the key topics discussed during the meeting.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana had invited all the MPs to attend the meeting to discuss the gas cylinder issue in order to find solutions collectively.

State Ministry of Cooperative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Technology, State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation, Sri Lanka Police, Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), Department of Measurement Units, Standards and Services, Litro Gas Lanka Ltd., LAUGFS Gas PLC, Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI), Sri Lanka Accreditation Board, officials representing the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the Ministry of Energy and the Department of Government Analyst, were present at this meeting held. 

In addition, the former Professor at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Prof. W.D.W. Jayatilake, Prof. Shantha Walpolage representing the University of Moratuwa, and Petroleum expert Nimal de Silva were also present.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa posed a number of questions at the Ministerial Consultative Committee and requested a reply in writing as soon as possible.

Views of all parties and the Members of Parliament present were sought pertaining to the domestic gas-linked fires and explosions.

It was alleged earlier that the butane-to-propane gas composition in some domestic gas cylinders had been changed, resulting in the gas leak.

Accordingly, the MPs said it was decided to carry out further investigations to come to a conclusion with regard to the explosions.

MP Harsha de Silva said the experts from the University of Moratuwa had confirmed that the increase of propane and butane composition in gas sold in Sri Lanka to 50:50 may have a higher probability of a leak from the regulator or hose.

He said State Minister Lasantha Alagiwanna informed this to the consultative committee meeting.

Some of the Opposition MPs requested that the gas cylinders with changed composition of propane and butane be withdrawn from the market.

However, the experts who were present at the meeting had said cylinders cannot explode while regulators could. Some have ruled out problems caused by pressure. They, therefore, highlighted that gas cylinders can withhold pressure.