A Cabinet subcommittee named by President Maithripala Sirisena to ascertain reasons for the recent countrywide shortage of petrol found some other revealing facts too.
One of them is a directive by Petroleum Resources Minister Arjuna Ranatunga earlier to cancel three long term contracts and resort to spot buying of fuel. Most were spot purchases thereafter and inadequate buffer stocks was the main cause for the shortage, the Subcommittee held.
Spot purchases are made at market rates prevailing at the time while long term contracts are negotiated at a price considered reasonable for a longer period.
Then, Minister Ranatunga last Tuesday proposed at the weekly ministerial meeting that the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) should resort to long term contracts. President Sirisena directed the Cabinet subcommittee, to continue functioning at his request, to discuss the matter with Minister Ranatunga, and take a suitable decision.
The Cabinet Subcommittee comprises Sarath Amunugama, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Patali Champika Ranawaka and Chandima Weerakkody.
As reported earlier, President Sirisena, meanwhile, wants to re-constitute the board of directors of the CPC. The budget debate which ended yesterday had been the cause for the delay.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today that the suspect in the rape of a lady doctor at the Anuradhapura teaching hospital has been identified as an army deserter and he will be apprehended shortly.
Police have arrested the suspect connected to the sexual assault on a female doctor at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital today morning in Galnewa.
The Dutch Public Prosecutor suspects two companies of paying bribes in the construction of hospitals in Sri Lanka, according to an investigation by FD, the Dutch financial newspaper.
The Government today tabled in the House the Report of the Commission to Inquiry into the Establishment and Maintenance of Unlawful Places of Detention and Torture Chambers in the Batalanda Housing Scheme.
The Minister of Power, Kumara Jayakody, stated that in the future, internationally funded projects, such as power projects, will only be carried out through government-to-government (G2G) agreements and competitive procurement.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he wholly rejects the Batalanda Commission report and that it was appointed wholly with the intention slinging political mud at him.
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