By Maheesha Mudugamuwa Concerns have been raised over the importation of a low-quality boiler from Italy by the previous Government, which spent Rs. 440 million to replace one of four boilers of the 51-year-old Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery owned by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), The Sunday Morning learnt. It is learnt that the boiler was imported from Italy in 2016 based on a report of a committee appointed in 2013. The purchasing had been conducted via a procurement committee based on engineering estimates, it is also learnt. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, United National Party (UNP)-affiliated Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) CPC Branch President Ananda Palitha said the four boilers of the refinery were as old as the refinery and various requests had been made since 2002 to upgrade the refinery to get at least 100,000 MT of refined petroleum products per day. “In 2013 too we made a request and the then CPC appointed a committee. But up until 2016, nothing was done,” he stressed. The boiler was imported from Italy from the same company which made the equipment of the refinery. After only about a year or two, a leak from one pipeline was noticed by the engineers. During this time, the older boiler had also been repaired by the engineers, he explained. CPC officials, however, alleged that even though the boiler should be working for at least 10 years, a guarantee period had not been given by the Italian company. However, the CPC has already instructed the Italian company to send the spare parts, while the local engineers are currently conducting the repair work.