Marikkar alleges Rs. 8.5 b loss from coal shipments so far

• Accuses Govt. of broken promises and cover-ups
• Warns against using arrests to distract from other alleged scandals

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday in Parliament launched a scathing attack on the Government, accusing it of presiding over massive financial losses in a controversial coal procurement process, misleading the public on cost-of-living relief, and attempting to deflect attention from alleged wrongdoing.

In a hard-hitting speech, Marikkar claimed that a report by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) pointed to a total loss of Rs. 8,497 million from nine coal shipments. 

He broke down the alleged losses shipment by shipment, asserting that hundreds of millions of rupees were lost on each shipment, culminating in a multi-billion-rupee impact.

“Even the big Bond is not enough to cover up the losses from the nine shipments,” he charged, drawing a comparison to the controversial Bond scandal and claiming that the losses exceed $ 147.5 million, which is about Rs. 4.5 billion.

Marikkar further alleged that the issue was not merely financial, but environmental and operational. He claimed that the imported coal contained significantly higher ash content between 22% and 26% compared to an average of 11%, resulting in operational disruptions at the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant. 

According to him, turbines were being halted every 15 minutes due to the inferior quality of coal, warning that damage to turbine blades could cost as much as Rs. 100 million per unit. “If that happens, we will go back to an era without electricity, which no one wants,” he added.

He questioned why late fees had not been imposed on delayed shipments, alleging that 11 vessels had arrived without the collection of applicable penalties despite guidance from the Attorney General. “The 11th ship was already being unloaded,” he said.

The SJB MP also used the opportunity to accuse the Government of failing to deliver on key election promises, particularly a pledge to reduce electricity tariffs by one-third. “They said they would reduce the electricity bill by one-third. Tell them to do that,” he challenged, adding that promises relating to VAT reductions, food, education, and health relief had also not materialised.

Marikkar criticised what he described as contradictory messaging on the economy, particularly in relation to Middle East tensions. “The Government had wanted to present an economic impact analysis, but we warned that releasing such an assessment could damage tourism and foreign investment confidence,” he said.

He called on the Government to recover alleged overseas wealth linked to the Rajapaksa family as promised during the election, while simultaneously insisting that investigations must not be selective. 

Marikkar said that those responsible for wrongdoing, including former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Suresh Sallay or even former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the Easter Sunday attacks, should be arrested if evidence exists, but warned against using arrests to distract from other alleged scandals.

He also expressed disappointment over remarks attributed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday regarding the country, stating that while he respects the office of the President, he regretted language that he said demeaned the nation.

Marikkar also alluded to the “323 container scam” and reiterated accusations of a broader pattern of mismanagement. “You let people go to a dream world and then you can’t get the job done,” he said, accusing the administration of failing to match its rhetoric with results.