<ul><li>Over a year since TPTL invited EOIs; Govt. yet to decide</li><li>2 tanks completed; total upgrade expected to take 18 months</li><li>Floating buoy system being installed; final costs pending tender</li></ul> The Government is yet to decide whether it will proceed with the previous administration’s Expression of Interest (EOI) or call for new EOIs internationally from strategic investors for the joint development of the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm in partnership with Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd. (TPTL), The Sunday Morning reliably learns.&nbsp;It has been over a year since TPTL invited EOIs. In July last year, TPTL, a Joint Venture (JV) between the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Lanka IOC (LIOC) under the Ministry of Power and Energy, invited EOIs from eligible investors and consortia to develop 61 tanks in the Upper Tank Farm at China Bay, Trincomalee, on a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) basis.&nbsp;The project, facilitated by the National Agency for Public-Private Partnership (NAPPP), leverages Trincomalee’s strategic location on Sri Lanka’s east coast near major shipping routes to India, Bangladesh, and beyond, as well as its status as one of the world’s largest natural deep-water harbours.The China Bay tank farm comprises 100 steel tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 MT, across 325.5 hectares, with 61 tanks leased to TPTL for 50 years to be refurbished and modernised as a strategic petroleum terminal, with potential expansion into surrounding land.&nbsp;Investors with a minimum commitment of nine tanks were required to submit EOIs by 5 July 2024, including company profiles and annual reports for the past three years, and outline proposals with revenue models, relevant project experience, and supporting documents.&nbsp;When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Energy Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala said that steps were being taken to renovate the 20 tanks owned by the CPC.&nbsp;Regarding the JV, he said: “For the renovation under TPTL, a huge investment is needed and the Government decision on whether it should go ahead with the previous EOI or not is still pending.”&nbsp;CPC Managing Director Dr. Mayura Neththikumarage confirmed to The Sunday Morning that the renovation of the 24 tanks owned by the CPC was ongoing, with two tanks already completed.&nbsp;He added that the work included upgrades to the pipeline and the jetty system to accommodate larger ships, a critical component for future operations. The total renovation is expected to take at least 18 months to complete.&nbsp;The CPC is managing the project internally, using a phased procurement approach for individual construction contracts while adhering to Government-approved procurement guidelines.&nbsp;Regarding the 61 tanks leased to TPTL, Dr. Neththikumarage said: “The previous EOI called for an investor to renovate the tanks and find users for the facility. The CPC is now evaluating whether this model remains suitable or if it would be better to directly invest in the project, allowing the corporation to recover costs and interest margins. Once we secure the investment, we can sell storage capacity directly to real users such as oil traders and manufacturers, rather than relying on an intermediate investor.”He stressed that a committee including the CPC and LIOC representatives was reviewing the previous business model to address technical and financial drawbacks. “The evaluation period does not impact the ongoing development of the 24 tanks, which continues as planned,” he noted.On the infrastructure side, Dr. Neththikumarage stated that upgrades to the jetty system were underway. “The project involves a floating buoy system at the deep-water unloading point in Trincomalee to handle larger vessels, complementing existing infrastructure. Preliminary estimates for the ongoing upgrades are around $ 70 million, though final costs will be confirmed once upcoming tenders are published in the next few weeks.”&nbsp;The CPC Managing Director explained that the CPC would oversee project management, while individual construction contracts would be awarded in stages under strict Government procurement guidelines.&nbsp;

Petroleum storage: Trinco Tank Farm plans flounder? 

<ul><li>Allegations of tender irregularities</li></ul> The Lanka Coal Company (LCC) has finalised its long-term coal procurement for the upcoming season, with bonds deposited by Indian supplier Trident Chemphar Ltd.&nbsp;Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Power and Energy Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala stated that supply contracts had been awarded following Cabinet approval and confirmed that the bond money had been deposited by the company last week.The tender process has, however, come under scrutiny.&nbsp;In September, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) alleged that Sri Lanka’s latest coal import tender was marred by corruption.&nbsp;FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda claimed that procurement rules had been altered to favour Trident Chemphar, including a 90% reduction in the minimum coal reserve requirement. He also cited past allegations against the company and its owners.&nbsp;Jayagoda argued that the Government had manipulated regulations surrounding essential services to suit private interests, undermining public welfare. He described the coal tender controversy as indicative of a broader network of corruption involving politicians, officials, and business entities.&nbsp;Responding to the allegations, Hemapala stated that the procurement had been carried out in accordance with Government-approved guidelines and that the company was a registered supplier with the LCC.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Standing High-Level Procurement Committee (SHLPC), on behalf of LCC, had invited sealed bids from registered suppliers for the supply of 1.5 million ±10% MT of coal for the period from December 2025 to April 2026. Bids were submitted by 10 a.m. on 8 September and opened the same day at the LCC office.&nbsp;Nevertheless, sources close to the matter indicated that by November, remaining stocks were expected to last only until January 2026, even with 15 pending shipments from the previous long-term contract. Delays in initiating this year’s procurement process have added pressure on the coal supply.&nbsp;The Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, which generates nearly 40% of Sri Lanka’s electricity, continues to operate under rolling maintenance. The third generator was offline for 25 days in June, reducing system stability during a period of limited coal availability.&nbsp;Following months of inactivity, Cabinet approval to appoint a tender committee was only granted in October. The LCC has now resumed procurement, with a new tender for approximately 2.25 million MT of coal expected to cover two unloading seasons.&nbsp;

Coal tender: LCC secures coal supplies 

The Election Commission (EC) is awaiting Parliament’s greenlight before it can proceed with long-delayed Provincial Council (PC) Elections.Despite preparations and a budget allocation of Rs. 10 billion for the polls, legal and political hurdles remain unresolved, leaving the commission unable to act until Parliament addresses the outstanding issues related to electoral law and constituency delimitation.Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said the commission could not proceed until Parliament addressed the existing legal issues.He said the responsibility lay with Parliament to resolve the delimitation problem or reinstate the earlier law so that the commission could act.The EC Chairman added that the commission had not received any indication so far that either of the required legislative steps had begun.Rathnayake also noted that the commission had not requested the Rs. 10 billion allocation, as funding fell under Parliament’s responsibilities.Parliament is to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to review the legal framework governing PC Elections and recommend the steps needed to proceed with the long-pending polls.Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake informed Parliament yesterday (15) that the committee would be tasked with examining the issues that have prevented the elections from being held. He made the remarks in response to a question raised by MP Dayasiri Jayasekara.The decision follows comments by Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Prabha Ruwan Senarath to The Sunday Morning that the 2026 Budget had allocated Rs. 10 billion for the elections.He noted that although funding and preparations were in place, political agreement was required on how the election should be conducted.Senarath also stated that the select committee would study two possible legislative options: introducing a new law to return to the previous electoral system or resolving the current delimitation issue.He added that other political parties had been invited to submit their proposals and that a final decision was likely to be made after the Budget was passed.

Stalled PC Polls: EC awaits P’ment nod

<ul><li>Full-scale strike a last resort</li></ul> The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to commence a series of Trade Union (TU) actions beginning Monday (17) in response to ongoing shortages of medical staff, equipment, and essential medicines in the public health system.&nbsp;GMOA Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe stated that while a full-scale strike remained a last resort, the association was prepared to escalate actions if the Government failed to respond.“In fact, we have already declared some trade union action starting from Monday onwards. Striking is something we consider as the last option, considering the security of the health system. However, if the Government pushes us, stronger TU measures may be necessary,” Dr. Wijesinghe said.&nbsp;The planned actions include refraining from prescribing or dispensing out-of-stock medicines, abstaining from political health camps and clinics, and refusing deployment to newly-opened hospital units or wards lacking adequate human resources.&nbsp;Dr. Wijesinghe charged that the crisis was already affecting the public. “Due to the prevailing shortage of equipment and human resources, healthcare services have been significantly impacted. Patients are already affected, and our demands aim to revive and strengthen the free healthcare system rather than just address salaries,” he stated.The GMOA’s demands include ensuring the Government supplies sufficient quality medicines, increases the number of doctors in the system, and implements a sustainable plan to retain medical professionals within the country.&nbsp;“We urge the Government to take immediate steps to provide economic justice for doctors, establish a favourable working environment, and address issues affecting patient care. If any further impact occurs on the public, the responsibility lies with the authorities,” Dr. Wijesinghe remarked.&nbsp;The GMOA has indicated that meetings with political leaders, including Opposition figures, are being pursued, but decisive action from the Government is needed to avert further deterioration of the public health system.&nbsp;– By Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Health: GMOA to commence trade union action 

<ul><li>Registration plates to be available next year&nbsp;</li></ul> Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena says the Government is unable to meet the previously announced November deadline for issuing new vehicle number plates due to delays in the technical testing phase.However, he added that it would be able to commence issuance of the new plates within two months.&nbsp;According to Dr. Gunasena, there is a current backlog of over 100,000 vehicles, although the exact figure needs to be confirmed by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT).&nbsp;The large backlog arose after the Government introduced new high-security number plates, requiring all new vehicle registrations to wait until the new plates are ready for issuance.&nbsp;Repeated attempts to contact DMT Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe failed, but Assistant Commissioner – Technical B.M.A.A. Banneheka was able to provide limited information.&nbsp;“This is a topic ideally raised before the Commissioner General. Anyway, we have not been able to issue number plates for the past six months. On a daily basis, the DMT registers 400-500 new vehicles on average, so the number has accumulated over six months,” Banneheka stated.&nbsp;According to Dr. Gunasena, the new plates are still undergoing final testing, including the verification of embedded security features. These features include machine-readable components and recognition capability intended to improve traceability and reduce fraudulent plate replication.He said the number plates had been sent to the University of Moratuwa for technical testing, where certain security features had failed recognition checks, requiring further examination, including tests that needed to be done at an international level.&nbsp;The failure of these components during the testing stage prevented the issuance of plates by the target date, 15 November, which lapsed yesterday.&nbsp;Dr. Gunasena said the DMT had updated him that the problems identified during testing had now been addressed and that, based on the latest information, the Government expected to begin issuing the new plates within the next two months once all tests were completed and the contract was finalised.The Deputy Minister also rejected allegations that there were irregularities or flaws in the tender process for procuring Sri Lanka’s new high-security vehicle number plates.He said the tender evaluation and awarding process had been completed in accordance with standard Government procurement guidelines and the project had then moved to the technical testing stage. “There was no problem with the tender process. We have finished the tender process and moved for testing,” he noted.&nbsp;Dr. Gunasena clarified that concerns raised by some parties related not to the evaluation of the winning bidder but to issues arising from applications submitted by unsuccessful bidders. He noted that although any eligible entity was free to submit a tender, submissions that failed to meet the procurement criteria had to be rejected and such rejections did not constitute grounds for reopening the tender.He further stated that there was no need for a new tender, as the awarded tender was still valid pending completion of technical verification. He reiterated that the delays currently affecting the rollout of the new number plates stemmed from the testing process rather than procurement concerns.&nbsp;– By Faizer Shaheid&nbsp;

Vehicle registration delays push back deadline 

<ul><li>Struggles to function with 50% of approved staff</li></ul> The Right to Information (RTI) Commission states that it is currently functioning with only 50% of its approved staff strength, which has created serious challenges in carrying out its duties and attending to public requests.Speaking to The Sunday Morning, RTI Commission Director General K.D.S. Ruwanchandra said that while the commission had approval for 36 positions, only 18 officers were presently in service.“We do not have enough staff. Our approved cadre is 36, but only 18 are working. That is 50%, so it is a big challenge to carry out the work of the commission. We need enough staff to work.”He noted that any delays in the commission’s work had been caused by this shortage. “If there has been any delay, it has been due to these issues. We have made requests to the relevant authorities, but we have not received approval yet,” he said.&nbsp;Ruwanchandra added that requests had also been made to the committee headed by the Prime Minister’s Secretary, which oversees recruitment to the public service.The Director General’s comments come in the wake of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith P. Perera revealing in Parliament recently that the RTI Commission had failed to attend to 308 information requests between 1 January and 30 September this year.&nbsp;He said that the number of pending inquiries now stood at 112, marking an increase compared to the previous year.&nbsp;It was also reported that the number of information requests fulfilled by the commission has dropped to 1,157 in 2025, compared to 1,837 in 2024. The total number of fulfilled requests stood at 1,500 in 2023, 1,451 in 2022, 475 in 2021, 527 in 2020, 709 in 2019, 549 in 2018, and 57 in 2017.&nbsp;Established under the Right to Information Act No.12 of 2016, the RTI Commission functions as an independent oversight body empowered to conduct inquiries into non-compliance with the act and to recommend disciplinary or legal action against officials where necessary.&nbsp;

RTI Comm. runs at half speed

The Government has stated that it will take necessary measures to ensure that programmes to remove unauthorised constructions in towns and along roadways will not adversely affect people’s livelihoods and will be done in a fair manner.&nbsp;Speaking to The Sunday Morning yesterday (15), Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath said that illegal constructions had become a serious problem and that the issue must be addressed if urban development was to move forward.“If we are to implement our development plans, the city and road system must be free from unauthorised construction. Therefore, we have to make decisions regarding unauthorised constructions. However, we will not act in a way that is unfair to anyone,” he said.He stressed that the Government was mindful of the impact such decisions may have on individuals and families.“If the removal of any construction harms the livelihood of a person, we as a Government will definitely pay attention to the matter. People should not have unnecessary fear. We have come into power for them.”In recent years, the issue of unauthorised constructions has drawn increasing attention across Sri Lanka, particularly in rapidly developing urban and suburban areas.&nbsp;Many of these structures have been built without proper approval, encroaching on road reserves, waterways, and State lands. Such developments obstruct planned urban projects, affect drainage systems, and pose risks to public safety.The ongoing programmes to remove such buildings has faced criticism from long-time residents and small business owners who claim that demolitions have affected their livelihoods.&nbsp;

Unauthorised constructions: Govt. crackdown will be ‘fair’: Min.

The plan to establish Trincomalee as an energy hub in collaboration with India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Sri Lanka faces an uncertain future, as the latest rounds of discussions have yet to yield significant progress.&nbsp;Speaking to The Sunday Morning yesterday (15), Ministry of Energy Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala revealed that despite four to five rounds of discussions, there had been no final conclusion or substantial advancement on the project.&nbsp;“We have held four or five discussions, but there has been no progress. However, we have not given up on the project, nor have we decided to withdraw from it,” he said.The proposed energy hub aims to transform Trincomalee, a strategic port on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast, into a major regional energy and logistics centre. Plans include the development of a multi-product pipeline, extensive bunkering facilities, and potentially a refinery, making it a critical node for fuel storage, transportation, and distribution in the Indian Ocean region.&nbsp;The initiative gained momentum during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Sri Lanka in April, when Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were exchanged between Prof. Hemapala, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and UAE Ambassador to Sri Lanka Khaled Nasser AlAmeri.&nbsp;The agreements envisioned a joint effort to develop Trincomalee into a world-class energy hub capable of handling large-scale fuel storage and supply for South Asia and beyond.

Energy hub proposal losing steam?

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has issued a Gazette revising the maximum retail prices for canned fish, effective today (15). The order prevents manufacturers and sellers from pricing canned fish above the new limits. The updated MRPs are: Tuna (425g): Rs. 380 Mackerel (425g): Rs. 480 Jack Mackerel (425g): Rs. 560

Petroleum storage: Trinco Tank Farm plans flounder?

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RTI Comm. runs at half speed

RTI Comm. runs at half speed

Unauthorised constructions: Govt. crackdown will be ‘fair’: Min.

Unauthorised constructions: Go ...

Energy hub proposal losing steam?

Energy hub proposal losing ste ...

Govt. revises canned fish prices in new gazette

Govt. revises canned fish pric ...

Coal tender: LCC secures coal supplies

Coal tender: LCC secures coal ...

Stalled PC Polls: EC awaits P’ment nod

Stalled PC Polls: EC awaits P’ ...

Health: GMOA to commence trade union action

Health: GMOA to commence trade ...

Vehicle registration delays push back deadline

Vehicle registration delays pu ...

RTI Comm. runs at half speed

RTI Comm. runs at half speed

Unauthorised constructions: Govt. crackdown will be ‘fair’: Min.

Unauthorised constructions: Go ...

Energy hub proposal losing steam?

Energy hub proposal losing ste ...

Govt. revises canned fish prices in new gazette

Govt. revises canned fish pric ...

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Health: GMOA to commence trade union action

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RTI Comm. runs at half speed

RTI Comm. runs at half speed

Unauthorised constructions: Govt. crackdown will be ‘fair’: Min.

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