The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, the present fuel crisis affects every sector—large and small businesses, transport, fisheries, agriculture, and three-wheeler owners. While there is war, the main cause here is the coal fraud. Because coal power generation has declined, as our Leader explained this morning, we must supply about 6 million litres of fuel per day to keep thermal generation running; otherwise, there will be blackouts. This diversion has intensified the fuel problem.

¶ 02 Fisheries is a key industry. Around 7,000 boats—multi-day and single-day—operate. A single trip can consume 9,000–10,000 litres; overall monthly consumption is about 6.5 to 7 million litres for some 7,000 boats. We could support fisheries with our imports, but because 6 million litres per day go to power plants, petrol stations have queues. All fishing harbours—Kudawella, Trincomalee, Tangalle, etc.—have 3–4 day queues.

¶ 03 Announcements were made to give small boats 25 litres a day for five days as “lamp oil” (outboard fuel). But there are only 22 harbour fuel pumping points, not 100 as stated. Petrol sheds do not dispense lamp oil; buses get lamp oil at higher prices. There are over 50,000 outboard engine crafts—engines, canoes, theppam, etc.—needing both kerosene and petrol. What is the mechanism to supply them? The President makes statements here but nothing is implemented. If fisheries collapse, people will have no fish and we lose foreign exchange. Form effective harbour committees with local officials to resolve fuel distribution.

¶ 04 On agriculture: talk of giving 15 litres per acre at harvest. The reaper cannot be taken to the shed, has no registration or QR. It takes 15 litres just to start it. Who decided harvesters need only 15 litres per acre? For ploughing, only 20 litres per acre—how to run a tractor from home to field and back? Those who ate grass and paddy in farmers’ fields then must now sit with farmers in the fields and make sensible decisions.

¶ 05 Tourism: fuel quotas are given to large hotels running tourist buses. But small vehicles carrying tourists in Haputale, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, and Hambantota stand in queues for hours, missing airport pickups and temple visits. I request priority at pumps for vehicles carrying tourists, with police instructed accordingly.

¶ 06 Our fisheries, agriculture, tourism, and upcountry livelihoods are collapsing. The President came here six days ago and said we have fuel until the New Year, and 1.5 months in reserve; within days prices rose by Rs. 20–24. He said there would be a device to find fish, that fuel tax would be reduced by Rs. 50; but the Rs. 50 goes to Kanchana’s pocket? Then to the Treasury? Another tax? People are being taxed and the Treasury is piling cash, while people can’t live—can’t fish, can’t buy clothes. You took charge one and a half years ago; stop blaming others and do the job.

¶ 07 Please, also prepare hospital mortuaries along our southern coast—Hambantota, Galle, Karapitiya—with functioning cold rooms. Recently, foreign corpses had to be kept on ice like fish in Tangalle. If the war escalates and more foreign bodies need storage, be ready.

¶ 08 Thank you.