Oil stocks not affected - Minister Premajayantha

Nadira Gunatilleke

“The country has oil stored for another one and a half months at present and the situation in oil producing countries will soon be back to normal,” Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

Addressing the weekly UPFA press briefing held at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo yesterday Minister Premajayantha said that China increased the price of oil twice and Pakistan increased it once and decreased once. The Government is losing an income of Rs 4,000 million for selling petrol at the present price. There is no tax for kerosene.

Minister Premajayantha said for the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who granted funds directly to LG representatives to carry out development work. The President lessened the gap between the village and the town.

“Electricity generation increased significantly. The Opposition Leader always cracks wrong jokes and is now speaking about Saradiyel. It means the Opposition Leader is justifying day light robberies.

“He gets his history wrong all the time. Once he talked about ‘Pasdun Korale’ and then about `Monsoon rains’. This time it is about Saradiyel who lived during the colonial era.

“The UNP says the Government is using aid granted for flood victims’ for the election campaign. But the Government distributed all donations among them one and half months ago,” the Minister added.