CPC Chairman fuels fraudulent ships at loss
doubts if fuel stocks go to terrorist organizations
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) workers suspect if the terrorist organizations are supplied fuel through a bunkering businesses run by the Chairman of CPC with powers of his position.
They say that the Chairman's obstinate decisions cause massive losses to the CPC and point out that the Chairman is supplying fuel to several selected ships at a lower price than the market fuel price.
A liter of diesel that is sold at Rs. 110 per liter locally is sold at Rs. 95.14 to several ships including MT Queen Energetic under the Chairman’s instructions causing Rs. 14.86 loss per each liter of diesel. Around 300,000 liters of diesel have been sold to these shops so far and the loss caused to the CPC is Rs. 4,458,000.
This deal has been underway since last 18th under 30 invoices bearing numbers 4802866 and the serial numbers below it. When the ships are fuelled the details such as the owner of the ship and to whom the fuel is sold by the ship and the quantity of fuel are mentioned clearly in the invoice. But nothing was exposed here raising doubts. This bunkering is carried out within the high security zone.
Chairman orders another Montero for Rs. 15 million
Reportedly, the Chairman's bunkering business has no license. CPC privatized its bunkering arm and now eight private sector companies carry out bunkering with license.
The trade unions question how the Chairman supplies diesel at a lower price to the ships while the Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources says that the advantage of the decrease of world fuel price cannot be given to the consumers immediately.
CPC levies a cess (a development levy) of Rs. 15 per literof petrol and Rs. 10 per liter of diesel since September 17. The Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe said in the parliament yesterday that imposing a cess without parliamentary approval is a breach of parliamentary privileges.
Meanwhile, the CPC Chairman and the subject Minister repeat that the CPC is still losing. But the Chairman has made an urgent order to purchase a brand new Montero at the cost of Rs. 14,900,000 in addition to a fleet of two more Monteros worth around Rs. Rs. 30,000,000.