Disagreement, not a protest - Minister | Daily News
Fuel price hike

Disagreement, not a protest - Minister

The view that the fuel price should not be increased was not a protest, but a disagreement, said Petroleum Resource Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga on Saturday.

He also said that when a sensitive decision like increasing fuel price is made, the authorities should not neglect the public. He added that the authorities should think from the people’s point of view. “The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation should not only function as a profit-making body, but also as one that provide a service to the people,” the Minister said.

He made these observations to the media at a ceremony in Ganemulla on Saturday.

He also said that he did not agree to increase the fuel price last Tuesday (11) thinking from the people’s point of view. “It was not a protest,” Minister Ranatunga said. “It was a disagreement.”

He added that he was of the view that not only the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, but also the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Water Board should function as bodies that provide services to the public. He said further actually the CPC does not suffer a loss at the point-of-sale. He added that the fuel could be sold at a low price. “But the issue is the tax,” the Minister said. “However the tax is needed for the development programmes in the country.”

He added that the price of the crude oil in the world market is higher than in the days that this government came to power and they expect it would go down in future. He said that the fuel price would go down then accordingly.

“I also expect that the prices of the other commodities that were increased in parallel to the fuel price hike would drop when the fuel prices drop,” Minister Ranatunga said. 


Add new comment