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The platform was gifted by Dialog and MIT to the Ministry of Power and Energy to manage the fuel crisis in the country .The Ministry of Power and Energy conveyed its appreciation to the country’s leading technology entities, Dialog Axiata PLC, MillenniumIT ESP and ICTA as the facilitators of the National Fuel Pass system. Recently, at an event, the Ministry recognised the three entities for their invaluable and gratuitous contribution and expertise extended towards the development of the platform and the successful implementation of the allocation-based fuel distribution system.

 Since implementation, the National Fuel Pass platform has been successfully adopted by 93% of fuel stations across the country, with over 11 million transactions to date. The National Fuel Pass, which was introduced to provide the public a convenient and easily accessible solution to obtain fuel and facilitate an allocation-based fuel distribution method, has also surpassed six million vehicle registrations to-date.

 Dialog and MillenniumIT ESP will continue to support the National Fuel Pass platform free of charge over the next three years and will closely work with the Ministry of Power and Energy and ICTA to introduce additional functionality to meet the requirements of special segments. In addition to providing a sustainable allocation-based fuel distribution method to Sri Lankans, the successful implementation of the National Fuel Pass platform contributed to significant national savings, where the monthly expenditure of fuel imports has been reduced from USD 500 Million to USD 230 Million.

  Speaking to the gathering, Kanchana Wijesekera, M.P, Ministry of Power and Energy, claimed “On behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to ICTA, MillenniumIT ESP and Dialog Axiata PLC for synergising with the Ministry of Power and Energy to ease the burden of the fuel crisis on the public with the National Fuel Pass initiative. The journey to the National Fuel Pass system was riddled with trial and learning, and I am grateful to all stakeholders for remaining positive and proactive with an unwavering commitment to finding an immediate solution to a national crisis. This effort would not have materialised into the fully-fledged system it is today without the support of Lanka IOC and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the voluntary efforts of the individuals from the National Youth Corp and National Youth Council. Our aim was to give each individual a guaranteed fuel quota to manage their day-to-day activities, and, with this system, we have made it a reality today”

Speaking about the initiative, Jayantha De Silva, Chairman of ICTA said, “We are extremely proud to have been a part of this national initiative and to have provided technical advice for the development of the National Fuel Pass. The impact of the National Fuel pass is tremendously visible from an economic perspective, as well as from a social perspective.  I firmly believe technology can play a major role in solving some of the problems faced by our nation.   As the apex body for implementing all ICT projects of the government, we are committed to working with the required stakeholders to drive effective digital solutions that transform the lives of Sri Lankans”.

Commenting, Supun Weerasinghe, Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We are thankful to the Ministry of Power and Energy for inviting us to be a part of this national initiative. When the entire country came to a standstill, we at Dialog, felt that it was our responsibility to help the nation overcome this challenge through the power of technology. With the help of MillenniumIT ESP and ICTA, the Dialog team, once again,came together during our country’s greatest hour of need and volunteered to provide a solution within a short span of three weeks and expedited the operationalisation of the solution to help the nation progress with a sustainable fuel management system.”

 Commenting, Shevan Goonetilleke, CEO of MillenniumIT ESP said, “Eliminating fuel queues, saving millions of dollars, and ensuring a fair distribution of fuel to the nation was an outcome of the successful implementation of the National Fuel Pass system.  Launching the application at a national scale is undoubtedly challenging, however along with the guidance of the Minister and the excellent collaboration among the Ministry, ICTA, MillenniumIT ESP and Dialog contributed to achieving the ultimate goal. The National Fuel Pass indeed demonstrated how technology can be used to mitigate a national crisis through solutions that can be developed and deployed in a short time. Congratulations to the Minister and all teams involved on the successful completion of this project!”

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Dissident SLPP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris has alleged that the failure on the part of Parliament to fulfil one of its primary obligations, namely the responsibility for public sector finance caused the current crisis.

The incumbent government had been compelled to seek the International Monetary Fund (IMF) intervention as the country couldn’t address the balance of payments crisis on its own, the former Foreign Minister said. Addressing the media at the newly opened Nawala Office of Freedom People’s Congress on Wednesday (14), the academic questioned the need to appoint 38 State Ministers at a time the vast majority of the population was struggling to make ends meet.

Pointing out that in terms of Article 148 of the Constitution, the parliament exercised the power over public finance, the lawmaker explained how unbridled waste, corruption and mismanagement over the years contributed to the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) ultimately taking up the issue at hand.

The ex-FM dealt with the issue close on the heels of his successor Ali Sabry’s response to UNHRC making extensive references to ‘economic crimes’ perpetrated in Sri Lanka. Addressing the 51 Regular Session of the UNHRC in Geneva, President’s Counsel Sabry said that such references exceeds the mandate of the UN High Commissioner.

Prof. Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the last session. Following turmoil in the ruling coalition over the decision to back Ranil Wickremesinghe at the July 20 presidential contest, the newly elected on the advice of the SLPP dropped Prof. Peiris from the cabinet.SLPP National List MP Prof. Peiris stressed that the appointment of 38 State Ministers couldn’t be justified under any circumstances.

President Wickremesinghe, in the presence of Premier Dinesh Gunawardena appointed 37 State Ministers on Sept 08. Later, Ratnapura District SLPP MP Premalal Jayasekera, too, was appointed a State Minister. On March 31, this year the Court of Appeal acquitted Jayasekara from charges, including a death sentence issued over a political murder case filed in 2015. The former SLFPer along with two other persons were sentenced to death on July 31, 2021 over a killing during the 2015 presidential polls campaign.

The government could appoint two more State Ministers and 12 cabinet ministers as the Constitution allowed the appointment of 30 cabinet and 40 non-cabinet ministers.Prof. Peiris said that the expansion of the cabinet of ministers and non-cabinet rankers should be examined against the backdrop of the government not having the wherewithal to meet even the basic needs of the people.

Referring to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena returning Rs. 1.5 mn saved from his fuel allocation for January 2020 to July 2020 period to the Office of the Leader of the House, Prof. Peiris pointed out such appreciable gestures meant nothing when the cash-strapped government had to allocate huge sums of money and resources to upkeep new ministers. Prof. Peiris said that 38 ministers and their staff would require about 230 vehicles. The former minister asked whether the government at least estimated the cost of the new lot in terms of vehicles, fuel and salaries for the staff.

Prof. Peiris warned the government that the IMF wouldn’t grant money for the maintenance of utterly useless ministers who didn’t have any specific projects to handle for obvious reasons. Sri Lanka and the IMF recently announced agreement on USD 2.9 bn funding over a period of four years subject to the former fulfilling conditions set out by the lending body.The former minister said that the country should be ashamed of what he called a pathetic and further deteriorating situation.

Referring to a spate of recent statements made by the US, UNHRC, World Bank as well as one attributed to the USAID Administrator Samantha Powers, Prof. Peiris said the international community appeared to have zeroed in on high profile corruption cases here regardless of attempts to suppress them. The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo said that the World Bank recently went to the extent of questioning Sri Lanka’s auditing standards. Calling the World Bank move nothing but a disgrace and an affront to the once proud service, Prof. Peiris dealt with the violation of tender procedure in respect of the planned procurement of massive quantity of coal for the Norochcholai coal-fired power plant. The MP also made reference to explosive revelations made by Freedom People’s Congress member and SLPP rebel MP Prof Charitha Herath regarding misappropriation of Rs 1.3 bn. in the procurement of LP gas

Prof. Peiris urged the government to table the staff level agreement with the IMF without further delay. Pointing out that the SLPP admitted that even the Cabinet-of-Ministers hadn’t been briefed or consulted on the IMF deal, Prof. Peiris said that the government should take the parliament and the people as to how it intended to address the developing political-economic-social crisis.

Sri Lanka open to all navies A final settlement with the Tamils and the Northern population of the country would be reached within the next few months, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said at the first ever graduation ceremony of the National Defence College in Colombo on Wednesday night.The President added that he was currently having discussions with the Tamil MPs to achieve that goal.Wickremesinghe also said Sri Lanka was open to the navies of all countries.

“If navies want to come, we have no problem. They helped in the anti-piracy operations. But we don’t want a level of rivalry which will affect the security and the peace of our area. Whatever it be that we will not join any big power or take sides, we will stay out of it. And that’s why we want to ensure that the big powers and the rivalry don”t need to certainly lead to conflict in the Indian Ocean. That’s one thing we can’t afford.”

President Wickremesinghe also noted that the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean had made Sri Lanka the “punching bag.” He said there were around 17 ports operated by the Chinese in the Indian Ocean and all of them were commercial ports. He stressed that Hambantota Port was also a commercial one.

The President said in the port of Darwin, Australia the Chinese ports are operating side by side with a port that Australian and the US forces used for training. “We don’t have that. We don’t allow anyone to come and train here, but we do have our southern command of the navy. We have a divisional headquarters of the army and we have a detachment of the Air Force. But none of them are involved. They only ensure that this is a commercial port and no less.”

Emphasising that Hambantota was a commercial port, and a reflection of Sri Lanka’s strategic importance, Wickremesinghe said many people had come to absurd conclusions. The President said he hoped that the next agreement Sri Lanka has with China would not cause such speculation and it was only about debt reduction for Sri Lanka. He added that the Indian Ocean region should be opened to all to ensure freedom of navigation for commercial viability, Wickremesinghe added that Sri Lanka would not join any military alliances and did not want the problems of the Pacific coming into the Indian Ocean. He urged the countries in the Indian Ocean region to come together to maintain stability of the region.

“It is important for commerce to carry on. We have to remember that bulk of the petroleum supply and energy supply to the world goes through the Indian Ocean. A large amount of shipping goes through the Indian Ocean. We don’t want this to be an area of conflict and an area of war.”

President Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of safeguarding the security of India and other neighbouring countries. “When it comes to the security of Sri Lanka, we are of the view that in looking after the security of Sri Lanka, we must also ensure that nothing adverse happens to the security of India. That we have been committed to, and we will go ahead with it. There will be no movement out of it. That’s why we work with India on the Colombo conclave, on the trilateral security arrangements and many other fields, especially outside the military field of piracy, of human trafficking, of drugs. All those are useful ways in which we cooperate with India and the other island states. Then we also value our friendship with Maldives, those small islands, and we know how important the Maldives is.”

The President also said that Sri Lanka should not allow any other country to use it to attack third parties.

The National Freedom Front (NFF) has urged the government and the Opposition to resist a move by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to haul up the war winning Sri Lankan military before foreign judges.NFF leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa also raised the issue of India reiterating its demand for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, forced upon the country by Delhi in 1987 and now its full implementation at the ongoing 51 regular session of the UNHRC.

Weerawansa questioned the legitimacy in a member state exerting pressure on another to amend its Constitution. He the Indian move was not only contrary to the Vienna Convention but exceeded the mandate of the UNHRC.Strongly condemning the UNHRC move against the Sri Lankan military and India playing politics at Geneva session, MP Weerawansa said that all local stakeholders should condemn these moves in the strongest terms.

Lawmaker Weerawansa said that the government delegation at Geneva hadn’t countered the measures that had been proposed against the Sri Lankan military. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, leads the delegation. Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in Geneva C.A. Chandraprema are included in the delegation.

Responding to a query raised by The Island, MP Weerawansa said that Sri Lanka should have asked for an opportunity to counter accusations after having denounced the unsubstantiated allegations.Sri Lanka co-sponsored Geneva Resolution 30/1 in Oct 2015 during Maithripala Sirisena presidency.

The former minister said that successive governments hadn’t properly countered war crimes allegations though over the years authorities received information by way of studies undertaken by the government, Lord Naseby’s disclosures and WikiLeaks revelations.MP Weerawansa asked whether Geneva was only interested in Sri Lanka’s accountability.Having sponsored terrorism here, India was pursuing a strategy inimical to Sri Lanka, the former minister said.

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