Opposition MP Harsha de Silva challenges the government’s fuel pricing transparency, revealing that actual landed costs do not match the assumed global oil prices used in calculations and questioning the validity of claimed subsidies.
Opposition MP Harsha de Silva has raised strong objections to the government’s fuel pricing formula, accusing the administration of lacking transparency in how current fuel prices are calculated.
In a statement issued today, de Silva claimed that his calculations reveal the government is using assumed global oil prices of USD 130 per barrel for Petrol 92 and USD 180 per barrel for Auto Diesel when determining retail prices at Ceylon Petroleum Corporation filling stations.
The government has stated that it is providing a subsidy of approximately Rs. 20 for petrol and Rs. 100 for diesel in the final retail price. However, de Silva questioned the basis of these calculations, arguing that the government is not actually paying those assumed prices and that they do not reflect the true landed cost of fuel.
The MP also noted that the current ruling party had previously opposed the very same fuel pricing formula when it was introduced under former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera. He called on the government to operate with greater transparency in its pricing structure and to disclose the actual costs and taxes involved.
De Silva further alleged that while previous fuel pricing decisions were made with greater openness, the same level of transparency is absent today. He urged the government to reveal the true basis of its pricing mechanism.
