JVP Central Committee member Dr Nalinda Jayatissa calls on the people to come forward to defeat the Rajapaksas’ attempt to sell the Trincomalee oil tank complex to India, which is being used illegally by Indian Oil without a lease agreement.
Dr Nalinda Jayatissa made this observation addressing a media briefing convened at the JVP party head office today (31st) to reveal the facts regarding Minister Udaya Gammanpila’s preparation to start a company to hand over the oil tank complex to India.
The full text of the press conference:
Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to power saying that he would take back the properties and the national resources of the country that were sold. Mahinda Rajapaksa made this clear on the election platform. At one point, they kissed the ground, displayed the national flag on the top pocket. At the end of a speech, he would say that he loved the country three or four times. Due to this, the people thought that they would not sell but would take back what was sold. After Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to power, people were waiting for the government to take over the Hambantota port, which was sold by the UNP and the southern jetty of the Colombo port, which was sold before 2015. Not only that, they were waiting for the government to take possession of the Trincomalee oil tanks used by India without even entering into a lease agreement. But after 25 months, more things have been given to the company that bought the Hambantota port. The western jetty has been handed over to Adani Company in India. Several important and historical lands around the Port of Colombo are to be sold through Selendiva. The Urban Development Authority is waiting to sell a number of other lands. Lands in Uva Wellassa are to be sold.
It is in such a situation that the sale of fuel tanks in Trincomalee has come to the stage. The British government had built 101 oil tanks. These tanks were constructed near the Trincomalee harbour to supply Oil to warships and merchant ships. During World War II, two oil tanks were destroyed by bombs. Britain tried to take possession of these oil tanks during our country’s independence in 1948. With the change of world political power is 1964, the Sri Lankan government, with much difficulty, paid Sterling Pounds 250,000 to the British Navy and took possession of these 99 tanks. However, the previous governments did not have a plan to develop these tanks. Although JR Jayewardene tried to hand over the tanks to the United States in 1987, he couldn’t do so due to Indian pressure; the Indo-Lanka Accord was based on the pressure exerted on these tanks. Although the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed, nothing special happened regarding the oil tanks. Minister Milinda Moragoda of the UNP government that came to power presented a cabinet paper on May 21, 2002, to lease out the oil tank complex to an Indian company. Today. It is this Milinda Moragoda who has been appointed by the government as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in India. As a result of that Cabinet paper, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Indian Oil Company on June 11, 2002. Then on February 7, 2003, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and the Managing Director of IOC signed an agreement. According to this agreement, a lease agreement should be reached within 06 months. But 18 years have gone by, but no lease agreement has been signed. But the Indian company is using 14 oil tanks. However, the Government of Sri Lanka will be provided with one hundred thousand dollars a year for these 99 tanks. It is illegal because there is no lease agreement.
The Indian Oil Company was given a license in 2004 to import, store and distribute Oil for 20 years. That license will be revoked in two more years. Therefore, if the license is not renewed, it will be useless for the Indian company to maintain the tanks. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the Government of Sri Lanka to own this tank farm. When such an opportunity exists, the government’s Petroleum Minister Udaya Gammanpila, who is a member of the government that claimed to take over the assets sold, has started a new game. However, as the Indian company uses oil tanks without a lease agreement, Sri Lanka has a legal right to take over these. Instead, on December 20, 2021, Minister Gammanpila sent a letter to the Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation requesting the establishment of a company called Trincomalee Petroleum Terminal Limited based on the Trincomalee oil tank complex. In this letter Udaya Gammanpila deliberately inserts a clause to say that the Indian company owns the oil tank complex. That is a severe betrayal, a distortion. The Minister acknowledges that the Indian company has a legal right. But the Indian company does not have such a legal right. Now the Minister is trying to form a new company. There is a plan to give 49% of the company’s shares to Indian Oil. 99 oil tanks will be taken over by that company. This is to give legitimacy to the illegal situation while a case is pending in the Supreme Court that the Indian company has no right to use the oil tanks. Also, it was reported in the media today that Udaya Gammanpila had said that the oil tanks will be handed over to Indian Oil for another 50 years. The government is putting this country in the ditch. The government is selling all resources that could be used for the development of the country to foreign companies.
The Port of Colombo is a source of dollars. In such a situation, the operations that could have generated revenue from the jetties of the Colombo port would be handed over to foreign companies, and dollars would be lost. The same thing is going to be done to the oil tank complex. Our country can earn dollars by developing oil tanks. The trade unions of the Petroleum Corporation point out that supplying fuel to adjacent areas using the Trincomalee oil tanks will save the CPC Rs. 900 to 1000 million. This will reduce the losses of the CPC. That relief can be given to the people.
Due to the lack of storage facilities in the country, diesel can be stored for only 19 days. Petrol can be stored only for two weeks. Kerosene can be stored for only 10 days. Super diesel can be stored for only 18 days. So we need a formal storage facility. Employees of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation point out that 20 tanks are required to store a month’s oil requirement. 53 tanks are required to store for 2 months. 86 tanks can store the required Oil for 3 months. Then fuel can be stored when the prices in the world market go down. Instead, the oil tank complex itself is now to be sold. Udaya Gammanpila has been used today instead of Milinda Moragoda. Ranil Wickremesinghe has been replaced by Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Rajapaksas are going to do what Ranil could not do.
The people have a significant role to play in protecting the national resources of this country. At a time when the government is disliked by the people and is distancing itself from the people, it has rapidly entered the process of selling national resources by using the power of 2/3 of the parliament and the cabinet. Ministers are being kept in the dark regarding certain things that are being manipulated by interested parties. We tell the people of this country that both these groups are filling their pockets with commissions from the sale of national resources. These oil tanks, ports, jetties, lands and other resources are essential for a future government to develop the country. Therefore, all the people who love the country need to unite with the trade union struggle carried out against selling the oil tanks. As a party, we fully support the fight to protect the country’s national resources for the future.
