Inflaming the fuel crisis - EDITORIAL

andemic corruption, both financial and moral, caused or compounded by the breakdown of the rule of law and democracy, transparency and accountability, appears to be causing a cancer in most sectors of society including vital areas such as the purchase and supply of fuel.

Adding fire to the fuel crisis, was yesterday’s incident where some United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians on their fifth fact-finding mission were blocked by political goons while the police as usual just watched, according to parliamentarian and economist Dr. Harsha de Silva. A similar or worse calamity befell the UNP MPs who visited the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and the Hambantota International Port.  

The MPs who, under the parliamentary powers and privileges law, have the right to enter and inspect any public institution, were intimidated by hired goons while Hambantota’s pistol-packing mayor also threatened them. As usual, the police spokesman who is not taken seriously by most people claimed that special teams were investigating this breach of privilege for which a newspaper editor was once jailed.

The alleged investigation will probably go on and on as are police inquiries on scores of other serious incidents. Eventually, little or no action will be taken and no one held accountable because we are embroiled in an era where military authoritarianism carries the nameboard of a democratic socialist republic.

Getting back to fuel, without which day-to-day life will virtually come to a halt, latest reports say that four ships carrying about 300,000 metric tons of fuel are stuck at the Colombo Harbour because the fuel pipelines have broken down. Reports say the demurrage paid for each ship is about US $ 30,000 a day which means the loss or busting up of hundreds of millions of rupees largely due to mismanagement, disarray, corruption and frauds.

Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said on Tuesday even though the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) would have to pay demurrages for the ships anchored due to the breakdown of the buoy carrying crude oil to the Sapugaskanda oil refinery, the Ministry would not burden the people by increasing fuel prices.
However, promises in these days of deception and double standards are meant to be broken and in this case also, the Minister’s assurance cannot and will not be taken seriously by most people.

It would not be surprising if there is a midnight gazette notification soon announcing an increase in all fuel prices and sending the cost of living soaring to space.
The Minister also assured that the Sapugaskanda oil refinery, which had been closed down for more than a month, would resume operations by Wednesday but what happened at Sapugaskanda yesterday indicates that more trouble is brewing at the refinery.

Meanwhile, according to CPC sources, the corporation is also incurring heavy losses due to issuing high-priced low sulphur petroleum to the thermal power stations to generate electricity as a substitute for low priced furnace oil.

The CPC has failed to continue the supply of furnace oil due to the present crisis. It recently rejected a shipment of furnace oil due to low quality and the next shipment is expected on July 23.

World economic analysts say the ongoing crises in Iraq and other Middle East oil supplying countries may create a worldwide shortage. The ministry and the CPC need to work out oil purchase strategies in an enlightened way without inflaming the situation and setting the country on fire. Corruption at a time like this would be a grave crime against the people of Sri Lanka.