CPC not incurring losses: Minister

21 June 2013 01:43 pm

The Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) said today that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) was incurring more heavy losses in billions of rupees after reopening the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery.

Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery had been shut down for almost two weeks until the reopening on May 28.

The JSS President Ananda Palitha said the output of the refinery had also reduced by 50 per cent from the output obtained before the shutting down of the refinery.

Rejecting the allegation minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa  said despite the low output levels, the CPC was not incurring heavy losses as alleged and said the action had been taken to streamline the output at the refinery.  

“The main reason for the low output is the delay in renovating the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery. We have decided to renovate the refinery so as to produce an increased output,” he said.

The minister said they were now using an Oman and Abudhabi blend though the refinery was adapted to use Iran crude and added that using different blends might have also reduced the output.

The JSS had alleged the management was responsible for these losses.

The minister said this was no so because the management was constantly inspecting the refinery and that the refinery would be renovated to a proper standard soon. (Pradeep Chaturanga and Lahiru Pothmulla)