United Republic Front leader Patali Champika Ranawaka alleges the government is imposing unprecedented fuel premium charges, with diesel premiums skyrocketing from $7.95 to $88.98, warning of a massive Rs. 6 billion scam while four out of six promised crude oil vessels fail to arrive and Russian oil remains uncertain.
United Republic Front leader Patali Champika Ranawaka has emphasized that the current government is imposing an unprecedented burden on the people by levying fuel premium charges at levels never seen in history, alleging that a massive scam lies behind this. He made these remarks at a joint opposition press conference.
Ranawaka pointed out that while the premium charge for a litre of diesel previously stood at $7.95, under the current government it has been abnormally increased to $88.98. Similarly, the premium charge for petrol has been raised to Rs. 46.31. He stated that such high premium charges have never been imposed at any time in history.
Explaining the financial impact of these premium increases, the former minister claimed that if even one rupee per litre of fuel goes into the hands of any party, it would amount to a scam exceeding Rs. 6 billion. He further stated that the ultimate burden of this massive cost has fallen on the country’s 800,000 vehicle owners and electricity consumers.
Ranawaka also alleged that due to corruption in coal purchases, power cuts are imminent in the future, and the government is already preparing the people for such a situation by using the drought as a pretext. He noted that despite the Ceylon Electricity Board recording a profit of Rs. 6,943 million last year, the government is setting the stage to increase electricity tariffs again instead of providing relief to the people.
He pointed out that reports indicate four out of the six crude oil vessels expected to arrive before June will not reach the country, forcing the use of diesel instead of furnace oil. He also predicted that Russian oil would not reach Sri Lanka, as the deadline for obtaining crude oil from Russia is April 12, but there is no proper plan in place.
Ranawaka further emphasized that it is regrettable that instead of burdening the people, the government has not taken steps to strengthen public transport services, following the example of countries like Australia.
