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JVP claims conspiracy to privatise oil imports
Thursday, 6 September 2012 - 9:52 AM SL Time
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The JVP yesterday claimed that there was a conspiracy to privatise crude oil imports and that had resulted in the Sapugaskanda refinery being shut down from August 30 due to lack of crude oil.
Addressing a press conference at party head office in Pelawatta, JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath said that the government should maintain a sufficient stock of crude oil.
`This is the first time that the refinery has been shut down, since its inception in 1964, due to the lack of crude oil,` he said adding that the CPC cannot unload crude oil from a ship due to a damaged hose at the Colombo Port.
There are eight crude oil tanks in Kolonnawa and Sapugaskanda and two of them were under a repair, Herath said adding that the other six tanks were empty.
The Gampaha District MP said that the then UNF government, in 2002, amended the CPC Act enabling the private sector to import oil.
Then UNF government amended the Section 5.1 of the CPC Act, the JVPer said.
The Rajapaksa government too, could do it, he said.
Herath said that previous governments had tried to privatise oil imports and the refinery, but failed due to protests launched by employees.
`The government has already given the proposed refinery at the Hambantota port to an Indian company,` he said.
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