Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the coal procurement process was carried out strictly in accordance with approved procurement guidelines, rejecting allegations made by opposition lawmakers.
Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, the Minister said the coal tender was conducted through a formal process and approved by the relevant authorities, including the Procurement Commission. He noted that 26 registered suppliers obtained bidding documents and 10 companies submitted bids. The bidding period was initially set for 21 days and later extended to 28 days, followed by an appeals period during which no unsuccessful bidder lodged any objections.
Jayatissa explained that coal shipments are first assessed through a load port inspection by a recognised laboratory before being accepted. Only consignments with a calorific value above 5,900 kilocalories per kilogram are approved. After unloading in Sri Lanka, a second inspection is conducted at the discharge port by an internationally recognised laboratory. He said Cotecna had been selected through a procurement process for a two-year period to carry out these inspections.
He noted that penalties are imposed if the calorific value falls below the required standards. Shipments below 5,900 kcal/kg incur a double penalty, while those between 5,900 and 6,150 kcal/kg face a single penalty. Coal above 6,150 kcal/kg is accepted without penalty.
According to the Minister, 10 coal shipments have arrived so far, with eight fully unloaded and the rest currently being discharged. Inspection reports have been received for six shipments. The first shipment, containing 59,831 metric tons, was found to be below the required standard and a penalty of about US$ 2.07 million was imposed. Additional penalties included about US$ 436,000 for the second shipment, US$ 484,929 for the third, US$ 345,652 for the fourth, approximately US$ 500,192 for the fifth, and US$ 510,677 for the sixth shipment.
Jayatissa said that in previous years some shipments had been accepted without proper verification of inspection reports, but this year stricter verification measures had been introduced, including authentication of the Indian load port laboratory for the first time.
He added that a committee consisting of experts from the University of Moratuwa and ministry officials will be appointed to review technical issues in inspection reports and assess any potential losses. The Minister emphasized that the current coal procurement process has followed the established legal and regulatory framework.
