CPC losses soared to Rs. 250 b from 2006-2013 says UNP Leader
Tuesday, 22 July 2014 00:01
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UNP says every child born in Sri Lanka must bear CPC debt alone of Rs. 12,500
Rajapaksa regime used Sapugaskanda workers as human shields to hide corruption: Ranil
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday hurled accusations against the Rajapaksa administration, saying large scale corruption had caused Ceylon Petroleum Corporation losses to soar to Rs. 250 billion in just seven years. The UNP Leader explained that a group of UNP MPs had visited the Sapugaskanda oil refinery to expose this mismanagement and corruption before the people. The attempt had been foiled by the Government which did not want the facts laid before the people, he said.
“But just like Prabhakaran used the people of the Wanni as human shields to ensure his own protection, the dictatorial Rajapaksa regime uses the Sapugaskanda refinery workers to hide the corruption that has contributed to the losses,” Wickremesinghe charged in a speech in Galagedara on Sunday.
With the buoys damaged in both the Sapugaskanda and Muturajawela oil storage facilities, there was no oil refining happening at either facility at the moment, Wickremesinghe charged.
“Now the Government claims that it is more profitable to import refined oil,” he scoffed, adding that there was no doubt certain individuals were benefitting from the import.
However, the Opposition Leader said there was no reduction in oil prices. “Ultimately it is the people who pay for the mismanagement by paying more for fuel,” Wickremesinghe asserted.
Iran rejects claims of oil sales to Lanka
Mohsen Qamsari, an official with the National Iranian Oil Company, on 20 July rejected claims that Iran is selling crude oil to Greece, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
“China with 400,000 barrels per day is the biggest costumer of Iranian crude oil,” he said, adding that Beijing’s imports account for 40% of Iran’s total oil export, Iran’s IRNA News Agency reported.
“India with 25% is the second biggest costumer of Iranian oil,” Qamsari explained.
He went on to note that South Korea, Japan, and Turkey are the other main costumers of Iranian oil.
Qamsari earlier this week rejected the International Energy Agency’s report about a 26% decrease in the country’s oil exports (including crude oil and gas condensates) in June. (Trend)
