Government MP given land at BIA to operate jet fuel storage facility: Dayasiri

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Parliament, May 08 (Daily Mirror)- The government has provided a plot of land to a government MP at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to operate a jet fuel storage facility, Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara revealed today.

He told Parliament that jet fuel supply is a main source of dollar earning to the country and questioned why the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) was losing its monopoly.

The MP said the CPC had provided permits to Cannel (Private) Limited and Fits Aviation also to supply jet fuel when a system is in place at the BIA at a cost of USD 51 million for the purpose of supplying fuel to aircraft.

Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha urged him to reveal the name of the MP and then MP Jayasekara hinted that the said MP is a businessman and envisaged to be the SLPP Presidential candidate.

MP Jayasekara said 13 million litres of jet fuel are supplied through the BIA monthly while 3 million litres were supplied through the Mattala airport and 400,000 litres for the Sri Lanka Air Force.

State Minister D.V. Chanaka said a monopoly in jet fuel supply does not exist in any of the main airports in the world and that five to ten companies were supplying jet fuel in all the airports.

He said the Ministry was aiming to create competition in jet fuel supply so as to ensure competitive pricing.