Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National Organiser and MP Namal Rajapaksa yesterday said the government should reduce alleged commissions and inefficiencies in fuel transactions instead of increasing fuel prices, if corruption in the sector has truly been eliminated.
Speaking to the media, Rajapaksa claimed that previous administrations had been accused of earning large commissions from fuel deals, and if such practices have now stopped, the benefit should be passed on to the public through lower fuel prices.
He also said the fuel QR system should have been introduced earlier, noting that several countries had implemented similar mechanisms before Sri Lanka adopted it. Rajapaksa further pointed out that the current President had criticised the QR system when it was first introduced by the previous government, but the same system is now being used.
Rajapaksa alleged that the recent increase in fuel prices was linked to losses caused by what he described as a “coal scam,” arguing that the financial burden of those losses is now being shifted onto the public.
According to him, the losses were not the result of global market conditions but of decisions taken by the present administration. “Pointing to the world market will not hide that the losses were created by the actions of this government,” he said.
He further claimed that if large commissions previously added to fuel prices no longer exist, the government should remove them and reduce prices. “If it was once said that ministers earned large commissions from fuel, remove those commissions now and give relief to the people,” he added.
Rajapaksa also urged the government to consider the difficulties faced by essential service providers due to high fuel prices, highlighting sectors such as health services, three-wheel operators, transport providers, trade, business and tourism that rely heavily on fuel.
He said many long-distance transport operators, both in rural and urban areas, are struggling to continue their services at current fuel prices and called on the government to introduce practical solutions to support them.
