Sri Lanka’s outgoing Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara has announced that he leaves the ministry in a stronger financial position, with sufficient stocks of petroleum products and coal for power generation and fuel supply.
In a tweet on September 23, Wijesekara emphasized that all institutions under his purview are now operating with positive balance sheets, successfully recovering costs for their services, making timely payments to suppliers, servicing outstanding debts, and generating additional revenue to support the treasury.
He reported that Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) have substantial reserves, including 123,888 metric tonnes of diesel, 13,627 metric tonnes of super diesel, 90,972 metric tonnes of 92 Octane Petrol, 18,729 metric tonnes of 95 Octane Petrol, and 30,295 metric tonnes of Jet A1 fuel.
Following the resignation of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Sri Lanka’s cabinet has been dissolved, and newly sworn-in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to appoint an interim cabinet on September 24.
Reflecting on the progress made, Wijesekara stated, “From 4-13 hour power cuts, a lack of fuel, coal, and cash in 2022, I leave with adequate stocks for uninterrupted fuel supply and power generation.”
He also expressed gratitude to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe for his leadership during a challenging period, noting that his efforts were instrumental in stabilizing the economy and steering Sri Lanka out of bankruptcy. Wijesekara praised Wickremesinghe for his dedication and effective decision-making, which provided much-needed relief and reforms to the nation.