Sufficient fuel stocks not maintained at CPC for emergency use; COPE reveals

• COPE committee summons Power and Energy Ministry Secretary, CPC Chairman and several other  officials

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrma  

While revealing many administrative inefficiencies and irregularities at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the COPE committee pointed out that there are not enough fuel stocks maintained at the CPC storages.  

The COPE committee had summoned Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Mapa Pathirana and CPC Chairman Saliya Wickramasuriya, among several other officials, to reveal many administrative inefficiencies and irregularities at the CPC.  During the meeting, the Auditor General’s reports and the current performance of the CPC for the years 2020 and 2021 were examined.  

When inquiring about buffer stocks, the CPC official said that they are maintaining a stock of 60,000 metric tons of diesel and 45,000 metric tons of petrol at the CPC storages to use in an emergency situation in the country.