The purchase of oil in future will be only permitted after a newly
appointed cabinet subcommittee scrutinizes and approves the purchase, a
reliable government source said yesterday.
He said a number of top level management changes were expected at CEYPETCO including that of Chairman Harry Jayawardene.
The source said a former public servant S. Amarasekara who served as a
highways ministry secretary and a former secretary to the prime minister
was likely to replace Mr. Jayawardana.
Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayantha said following the controversial
import and distribution of a stock of contaminated petrol, a
five-member cabinet sub-committee headed by former Petroleum Minister
A.H.M. Fowzie and including Ministers Premjayantha, Patali Champika
Ranawaka John Seneviratne and Dilan Perera will now go into all aspects
of oil purchases.
“The import and distribution of adulterated petrol that left some 2,000
vehicles damaged would not have happened if a more effective and
transparent system was in place,” the minister said.
He said the committee had instructed CEYPETCO Stock Review Committee to
refer all purchase orders in advance so as to give enough time to
scrutinize, approve, order and deliver it.
The minister said CEYPETCO was run without a CEO, CFO or a financial
controller and this had led to various shortcomings at the top and added
that the top management level vacancies would be filled soon.
A three-member committee appointed by the minister had found that the
recommended procedure and guidelines had not been followed in importing
the low quality fuel.
The committee has recommended that compensation be paid to the
motorists who have been affected and that the loss incurred by CEYPETCO
be charged to the errant company which exported the contaminated stock
of petrol.
It also recommended that any losses which could not be recovered from
the company be collected from CEYPETCO officials found responsible.
The minister said the Public Services Commission had been directed to
take appropriate action against the officials had involved in the scam.
Meanwhile the payment of compensation to affected motorists will be
done within the next two weeks based on a ceiling of Rs.50,000 each.
Sourse: http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/13325-cabinet-committee-to-monitor-fuel-purchases.html
Posted on Thursday, September 01, 2011 @ 02:25:49 LKT
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