No substandard fuel being distributed: Gammanpila

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila while admitting that there were some concerns on the quality of diesel and petrol sold in the domestic market among motorists, said the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Indian Oil Company (IOC) issue fuel with 100% assurance that petrol and diesel sold by them were not substandard.

Minister Gammanpila told the media that the fuel imported by the CPC and IOC are subject to laboratory tests for quality at the port of Colombo before pumping them to the storage tanks, at the storage terminals before pumping to bowsers. Bowsers were sealed before leaving the storage facility.

Responding to a journalist at the news briefing he said there was suspicion among motorists that the diesel is mixed with kerosene and 92 petrol with 95, Minister Gammanpila said the CPC was yet to receive any complaint on this issue.

“The CPC has conducted raids on a number of filling stations in the recent past and has taken strict measures against the culprits including cancellation of the permit. However, it is up tp the motorists to lodge a formal complaint against any filling station if motorists have any doubts about the quality of fuel being pumped to his or her vehicle. The CPC would mete out maximum possible punitive measures against the filling station if and when found guilty,” Minister Gammanpila stressed.

However, the CPC in July, 2012 detected a consignment of 7,500 metric tons of substandard jet fuel imported for the use of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) from the British Petroleum of Singapore. The consignment of contaminated jet fuel was rejected and sent back.

In June, 2011, a consignment of 20,000 metric tons of petrol shipped from the UAE was found contaminated and about 2,000 vehicles were damaged after pumping substandard petrol compelling the government to pay compensation.(Sandun A Jayasekera)