14 February 2022 09:45 am
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has had two rounds of talks with the Indian Government and the IOC to obtain fuel directly for the CEB and are waiting for a response, a spokesman for the CEB said.
If the Indian government consented to supply fuel to the CEB, it could be done through the CEB or the IOC. “All discussions were held via the Indian High Commission in Colombo,” CEB Spokesman and Deputy General Manager A. R. Navamani said.
Meanwhile, Government Spokesman, Plantation Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana in an optimistic tone, said the government expects the foreign currency shortage which was the root cause for all ills pressing the national economy would be eased by the second quarter of the year.
“We are in a foreign exchange crunch exacerbated by the day at the moment. But with the surge in tourist arrivals, improved export earnings and increase in foreign remittances, our foreign reserves would be increased enabling the import essentials like oil, medicine, food and raw material needed for the industry without a difficulty in a few months,” Minister Dr. Pathirana said. (Sandun A Jayasekera)