New Petroleum Minister visits CPC:

'My aim is achieving targets'

Ishara Mudugamuwa and Anushka Ranadewa

Measures have been taken to modernise the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery on the instructions of new Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

Participating in a ceremony to welcome the newly appointed Petroleum

Industries Minister organised by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) workers, Minister Yapa said the ministry has taken measures to setup 10 new storage facilities at Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery and lay new pipelines from Colombo to Sapugaskanda.

"Quick solutions are hard to achieve and the journey to develop the petroleum industry will be a rough one. As the minister, I will try my best to raise the level of efficiency at the CPC within a short period. CPC workers get better benefits compared to other corporations. Commitment and unity of employers are a must to achieve targets," the minister said.

Yapa said the main responsibility of the CPC is to import high quality fuel and distribute them for power generation and other purposes. "Consumer satisfaction is the prime objective of the CPC. They expect high quality oil at a fairer price from the CPC," he said. Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardane said the Petroleum Industries Ministry contributes 25-30 percent to the country's economy. Fuel is an essential item for the development in all other fields such as infrastructure, health, education, etc, he said.