In a recent address to the media in Anuradhapura, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperatives, Wasantha Samarasinghe, strongly refuted claims suggesting that a commission of Rs. 162 per liter of fuel would be pocketed by any former minister. Samarasinghe emphasized that no such statement had ever been made by the President or anyone in his government.
The minister clarified that the President’s earlier statement referred to a tax of Rs. 102 per liter of fuel, with Rs. 50 of that amount being allocated as a loan to the Treasury. Samarasinghe explained that the price of oil is determined by a fuel price formula, which includes these components. He stated that fuel price revisions are always conducted based on this formula, with the most recent adjustment adhering to the same process.
In response to public concerns about rising fuel costs, the minister reassured the public that the government is committed to ensuring transparency in fuel pricing. He added that the people of Sri Lanka would soon receive significant relief through measures introduced in the upcoming national budget. The minister’s statements were aimed at addressing misconceptions about fuel pricing and reaffirming the government’s focus on providing economic relief in the near future.
