By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

The joint fuel price formula of the Ceylon Petroleum  Corporation (CPC) and Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) would be presented  to the Cabinet next week, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara  said yesterday.

He told Parliament that the fuel price formula would be presented to minimise the loss incurred by the CPC.  
“The price formula will be presented not to cover the total  loss, but to cover some amount of the loss incurred by the CPC. We will  be able to find Dollars to import the next fuel shipment only if we do  so,” he said.  
The Minister said the CPC was not earning profits even after the recent fuel price increase.  

He said the Dollar was Rs. 330 when fuel prices were last  increased and added that it has gone up to Rs. 360 today. “Crude oil  prices at the global market has not gone down. We spent only US$ 120  million to import fuel per month two years ago. We estimate it to cost  US$ 585 million this month,” he said.