Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says he is prepared to face an inquiry into allegations levelled against him by the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) on fuel pricing and procurement.
In a Twitter message, Minister Wijesekera requested the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Prof. Charitha Herath to summon him and the officials from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) for an investigation.
“An inquiry should be held if the COPE and the public were misled by the PUCSL Chairman or CPC on fuel pricing and other related matters,” he said.
The request comes after the PUCSL Chairman Janaka Rathnayake made a personal statement in a recent COPE Committee meeting that petrol and diesel can be sold at a price of approximately Rs. 250 in Sri Lanka.
Rathnayake mentioned that this is revealed when checking the statistics on the import prices of petroleum and the taxes levied by the government.
He pointed out that petrol and diesel can be provided in Sri Lanka at Rs. 200 less than the current price.
Janaka Rathnayake said petrol and diesel can be sold at a price of approximately Rs. 250, adding that the government has collected a tax of Rs. 280 for one liter of diesel imported on July 1st. (NewsWire)