The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, today we debate several Regulations under the Army, Navy, and Air Force Acts, and the extension of the Emergency. On one hand, while calling soldiers war heroes and pledging to honour and meet their needs, there is a serious matter I must raise first.

¶ 02 Responding this morning under Standing Order 27(2), the Minister of Power said Trident Chemphar Limited is a registered company. However, according to the National Audit Office’s Special Audit Report on Coal Procurement for 2025/2026, at page 102, paragraph 6.1.3: “For the 2025/2026 period, the contract to supply 1.5 million metric tons of coal to Lakvijaya Power Plant was awarded to Trident Chemphar Limited, which at the date of calling bids (18 August 2025) was observed at audit to be a supplier who had not paid the required registration fee and was not registered. Despite emphasizing in the documents (e.g., 5.4.3.2.1 (vi)) the importance of payment of the registration fee, an opportunity had been granted to a supplier who failed to duly complete registration, even in a highly competitive evaluation process.”

¶ 03 Thus, the Auditor General has observed that on the bid date this company was not registered. Further, documents related to registration were reportedly emailed belatedly on 22 August 2025. When other companies asked for similar opportunities to complete registration, such opportunities were not given. This appears to be a rigged process favouring a particular entity.

¶ 04 Moreover, the Auditor General notes that the opportunity to test the umpire sample was bypassed. That was the next step to check whether low-calorific, substandard coal had been supplied. Avoiding that test appears deliberate. Although talk of filing cases was loud, you have structured matters so that recovery is not possible.

¶ 05 Now, under emergency procurement, plans are afoot to bring a further three hundred thousand metric tons through a company the Auditor has flagged for supplying coal below required calories and lacking proper registration and compliance. This doubles the wrongdoing—first the past act and now a new award despite clear disqualification. These actions even risk damaging diesel power plants due to poor-quality coal and set a pattern of abuse. I urge attention based on the Auditor General’s findings.

¶ 06 Thank you.