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President Maithripala Sirisena strongly reprimanded Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga at last Tuesday’s weekly ministerial meeting for unduly delaying the issue of licences to a Malaysian firm for a project in Sri Lanka.

The Kuala Lumpur-based Hirax Oil Sdn Bhd, manufacturers of petroleum derivatives including lubricants, had already set up a USD10 million production facility in Muthurajawela. This was in collaboration with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) which was to become the sole owners in 10 years. Details of the joint venture deal had been cleared by the Attorney General before it was concluded.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who visited Sri Lanka in December last year, was to have declared open the venture. However, it then came to light that the Petroleum Resources Development Ministry had not issued the required operational licences and the event could not be held.

At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, ministers took up for discussion a memorandum by Minister Ranatunga. In that, he had declared that further discussions needed to be held before the project could be finalised.

A ministerial source confessed, “I have never seen President Sirisena so angry any time before. He appeared very agitated.”
Mr Sirisena exhorted: “There is no point in talking any more. Issue the licence today itself without any further delay.” Provincial Councils, Local Government and Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapha also complained about the undue delays in commissioning the factory. Without the licences, they could not import raw materials required, he pointed out. Mr Ranatunga tried to dismiss the charge on the grounds that his ministerial colleague was known to those in the Malaysian firm.

Highly placed government sources acknowledged yesterday that there were complaints that a politician had asked the representative of the Malaysian firm to meet his relative. At the meeting, the relative in question had asked for USD250,000 each for three different licences claiming that funds were required for political activity. The firm in question had, thereafter, threatened to go for arbitration saying they had a sound legal case. A source close to Minister Ranatunga, however, denied there were any moves to seek bribes and claimed “there were no improprieties.”

President Sirisena also put a halt to a proposal for the third time by Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to spend five billion rupees to import iPads to be issued free to GCE Advanced Level students. This proposal was discussed at length in November last year but the matter was put on hold. Issuing iPads was a proposal in the government’s 2017 budget. Commenting on the proposal, President Sirisena pointed out that schools were without basic amenities like buildings, toilet facilities, furniture and faced a number of other shortcomings.

He said he was not against the Education Minister’s proposal and it should not be construed as such. In principle, he said, a rational view had to be taken so other shortcomings in schools that caused great inconvenience to students were addressed. President Sirisena recalled how he had a meeting with university academics earlier in the week about this subject.

Many were of the view that there was also a darker side to the free issue of iPads. There was no way of preventing the students from accessing porn sites. Even if passwords were introduced, in no time they would learn how to bypass them. In view of this, he said, there should only be a limited pilot project. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will chair a committee that will formulate the guidelines under this pilot project, he said.

In light of this, ministers agreed that there would initially be a pilot project at a lesser cost. Based on the outcome of this pilot project, a decision would be taken whether or not to continue with the free iPad issue to some 175,000 students.

Rajitha hits out at Finance Ministry
Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne lashed out at the Ministry of Finance at last Tuesday’s cabinet meeting but his colleague Mangala Samaraweera was not present. Acting on his behalf was State Minister Eran Wickremeratne. It was all over Mr. Senaratne’s complaint that the Finance Ministry was delaying his memoranda to the cabinet on unsolicited proposals. Hence, he was unable to go ahead with them.

As a result, Mr. Senaratne complained, there were projects, for which foundation stones had been laid but he had not received approvals.
Minister Sarath Amunugama proposed that a committee of officials be appointed to first examine unsolicited proposals before they were placed before the ministers.

However, President Sirisena named Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to chair a subcommittee that will in future examine all unsolicited proposals and accept what are suitable.“As for all other proposals or projects where there are undue delays,” a ministerial source said “each ministry is empowered to identify them and ensure they are expedited.” Hence, there was no requirement to have special committees, the source said.

Suspect says he paid Rs150,000 for forged NIC
One of the suspects initially questioned by the Police in connection with the find of military items in the Mullaitivu District on June 22 has claimed that a forged National Identity Card was used by him.
This card, he has alleged, was obtained by him with the help of an Army soldier upon the payment of Rs150,000.
Police said yesterday that the matter has now been brought to the attention of Army authorities.

SLFP rebels invited for ‘JO’ meeting
The renegade group of 16 pro-Sirisena SLFP parliamentarians has been invited for the first parliamentary group meeting of the “Joint Opposition” tomorrow.
The meeting is held at the official Wijerama residence of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the de facto leader.
The meeting is expected to be a pointer to who in the group will join the “JO” and who will not.

Police probe bank accounts of five military officers
At least five officers, both serving as well as retired in a service arm, are having their private bank accounts probed by Police investigators.
The move, insiders say, relates to an ongoing high profile investigation. Police want to ascertain whether there has been accumulation of undeclared assets.
Those concerned, according to insiders, are said to have had several accounts each.