Petrol crisis: Govt. accepts responsibility but blames officials

• “We are sorry”: Dayasiri 
• Govt. suspects foul play
• Two shipments expected today
• Cabinet committee to find solutions to current crisis 
• Another committee to be appointed to investigate incident 

By Chathuri Dissanayake 

The Government yesterday accepted full responsibility for the fuel crisis, which is now into its sixth day, but pinned the blame on officials of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), hinting that malpractice and sabotage may be the reason for the current situation. 

“We are sorry. As a Government we regret the inconvenience the public has to go through,” said Cabinet Co-spokesperson Dayasiri Jayasekara. 

Saying that over 10 million three wheel drivers who run hires have had their livelihoods affected, he stated that the Government regretted the inconvenience caused. 

“That is why we need to investigate and take action to ensure that this does not happen again.” 

The Government found fault with CPC officials who he stressed should be held accountable for the current crisis. Subject Minister Arjuna Ranatunga found an unlikely defender in Dayasiri Jayasekara, who stood up for his Cabinet colleague, saying Ranatunga should not be held accountable for every crisis when officials have failed in their duty. 

“The CPC officials are a key player in this crisis. In the corporation we have observed that there are a number of issues regarding the performance of officials. There is a problem of not maintaining a proper stock. Minister Arjuna Ranatunga also requested the Government to assist in setting this system up. COPE reports have highlighted that there have been issues in the 30 June 2011-30 June 2012 purchases. Rs. 8.3 billion has been on low-quality fuel during this period. There has been a delay in lab reports, communication weaknesses and the inability to adjust to changes in the market,” he said. 

Jayasekara also said that the issue of storage for a buffer stock had been ignored by officials. Two tanks in Kolonnawa with a capacity of 15,000 MT and 10,000 MT still holding low quality fuel have not been repaired and utilised by the CPC. 

“This should be done by the officials, but once this reaches a crisis level it is not just the Minister. He cannot go through everything. There is a committee to evaluate stock levels and the supply and demand situation every two weeks. So the officials should have taken action,” he said. 

The Minister also revealed CPC officials’ decision to limit the issuance of fuel on Friday to 600 MT, when standard practice was to issue 1,200 MT, had also amplified the issue. 

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Rajitha Seneviratne also assured that the shipment expected today would help ease the shortage in Colombo and the suburbs while enough supplies will reach the rest of the country by tomorrow. The Minister said that two emergency orders are expected to arrive from India and Singapore which will deliver 50,000 MT of fuel today and tomorrow, which will ease the current shortage. 

The Cabinet Committee chaired by Special Assignments Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama will explore solutions for the current crisis, he said, and make recommendations to ensure such situations are avoided in the future. 

Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and subject Minister Arjuna Ranatunga also sit on the committee. 

According to Senaratne, a separate committee will be appointed by the President to investigate allegations of foul play and shortcomings in the execution of duties by ministry and CPC officials. 

“Those who are found to be at fault will be dealt with,” Jayasekara promised.