By Buddhika Samaraweera
The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is to bring a no confidence motion (NCM) against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila to the Parliament based on 10 factors pertaining to the Government's recent decision to increase fuel prices.
Accordingly, the said no confidence motion was signed by SJB Parliamentarians at the SJB and Opposition Leader’s office yesterday (16).
The no confidence motion claims that according to a letter issued by the General Secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, although the Cabinet of Ministers is collectively accountable to the Parliament, Gammanpila has increased fuel prices without the approval of the Cabinet.
However, Gammanpila held a special media briefing on Monday (13) to state that he only announced a decision taken by the entire Government with the approval of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, with regard to the fuel price hike.
He added that the President as well as the Prime Minister had exchanged views with him regarding the incident, and that the President had sent him a text message before convening this media briefing.
“Sagara Kariyawasam is attacking not only himself, but SLPP President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, by using his letterhead,” Gammanpila added, referring to the letter issued by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam.
He said he would challenge Sagara Kariyawasam to name the senior ministers that participated in the party’s central committee in taking this decision.
The NCM also claims that the Minister did not inform the Parliament about the profits made by the Government and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) through the non reduction of fuel prices in Sri Lanka against the backdrop of the fall in oil prices in the world market from January 2020 to date.
According to the no confidence motion, although the Government promised to give the people the benefit of the drop in oil prices in the world market through essential commodities, the people have not received that benefit. It also read that Gammanpila has failed to fulfill his promise to the people not to increase fuel prices for two years due to the reduction of oil prices in the world market.
It also states that Gammanpila did not inform the Parliament of what had happened to the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund established in Sri Lanka in the wake of the reduction in world oil prices. The Minister has also failed to fulfill the promise made to repay the loans of the CPC that are due to the State banks by utilising the profits made through the drop in the world oil prices, it added.
The no confidence motion further states that the people would be rendered further helpless in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, as the prices of all essential commodities will go up due to the increase in fuel prices.
As of yesterday, the no confidence motion had been signed by the SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the SJB General Secretary, MP Ranjith Maddumabandara, and MPs Tissa Attanayake, Harin Fernando, S.M. Marikkar, Ashok Abeysinghe, Dr. Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana, Waruna Liyanage, Rauff Hakeem and several others.
The Energy Ministry, announced in a statement issued recently, that the fuel prices would be revised with effect from midnight on 11 June. Accordingly, the price of 92 octane petrol was increased by Rs. 20 per litre and 95 octane petrol by Rs. 23 per litre. The price of a litre of auto diesel was increased by Rs. 7 and that of a litre of super diesel by Rs. 12. The price of a litre of kerosene was increased by Rs. 7. Accordingly, the new price of 92 octane petrol is Rs. 157 per litre while the new price of 95 octane petrol is Rs. 184. The new price of a litre of auto diesel is Rs. 111 and the new price of a litre of super diesel is Rs. 144. The new price of a litre of kerosene is Rs. 77.
No confidence motion on Gammanpila by SJB
17 Jun 2021
No confidence motion on Gammanpila by SJB
17 Jun 2021
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