The government has failed to allocate dollars required to pay for four fuel ships, reportedly an amount of US $ 150 million, sources said.
Among the four vessels are two diesel ships and one ship carrying crude oil which have already been stalled at the Colombo Port and tomorrow (12) another ship carrying petrol is set to sail.
Only a part of the amount due for one ship carrying diesel has been paid so far, according to sources.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) had raised their objection to a proposal by the government for the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO) to purchase dollars from the black market to settle the payments for the fuel stocks, in its claim of having enough money.
However, the CBSL’s promise of paying for these vessels from its financial sources has not been fulfilled to date, hence the latter problem.
MIAP
