IOC for 300 more filling stations

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development Minister A.H.M. Fowzie told Parliament yesterday that the Lanka IOC has sought Government's permission to set up 300 more filling stations.

The Government is exploring the possibilities of not granting permission to this request, he said.

According to an agreement reached between the Government and LIOC, the LIOC should be allowed to open a new filling station only when the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation opens a new filling station, the Minister said.

The Government is seeking advice from experts to ascertain whether this condition to be amended because it does not suit with the plans of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, he said. The Minister said the LIOC has made this request six months ago. Since then the company through letters is repeating its request. But the Government delayed replying them.

The Minister was responding to a supplementary question raised by JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Dissanayake said it is necessary to amend the agreement. There is no use of postponing the relevant issue without replying the letters and delaying the meetings.

The Minister said the Government is exploring the possibility of removing the conditions of the agreement which are not favourable to Sri Lanka.

Asked to inform the House whether the LIOC has purchased petrol and diesel from the CPC, the Minister that no purchasing has been made. Asked to give details of the quantity of oil imported by the LIOC during 2007 and 2008, the Minister said the LIOC had imported 215,724 metric tons of 90 octane petrol, 23,365 metric tons of 95 octane petrol, 267,927 metric tons of Diesel and 4,917 metric tons of super diesel.