Government insists the coal procurement process was transparent, fines were imposed for substandard supply, and any officials who altered reports will face strict legal action.
Deputy Minister of Finance Anil Jayantha has firmly rejected allegations of a coal fraud, stating that the recent coal tender process was conducted with maximum transparency and without political interference.
He noted that under previous administrations, certain tenders were approved through cabinet papers outside the formal procurement framework. In contrast, the current government selected the most suitable suppliers from a large pool of bidders through a structured and competitive procurement process, in line with established guidelines and public finance regulations.
According to the agreement, strict quality assurance procedures are mandatory. The calorific value and technical specifications of the coal must be tested both at the point of loading and again at unloading in Sri Lanka. During inspections of the first shipment, authorities found that the coal quality was below the required standard.
The Deputy Minister explained that discrepancies were identified in the quality reports issued by an Indian testing agency. As a result, immediate legal and contractual action was taken. A penalty amounting to more than double the financial loss was imposed on the supplier. He confirmed that the government did not incur any financial loss through this transaction.
He further revealed that an internal investigation has been launched within the Ministry of Energy regarding alterations made to the standard reports. If any official or external party is found to have fraudulently changed documentation, strict disciplinary and legal measures will be enforced.
Anil Jayantha emphasized that this is not a politically influenced tender scam. He reiterated that the coal procurement process followed the legal framework, upheld accountability and maintained transparency at every stage.
