Eureka !! Our Energy Minister gives a heroic explanation on TV; that he has managed to regain the ownership or possession of the Trinco Oil Tank farm; and intends giving 24 tanks to Ceylon Petroleum Corporation , extends the ‘purported 35 year lease” (said to be ending in 2038) of 14 tanks to LIOC for another 50 years and that giving 61 Tanks to a Joint Venture company formed with CPC having 51% and LIOC 49% for New Business development; He further hides facts when he says that by 1987 Indo Lanka Accord, Sri Lanka has agreed to develop Trinco Tank farm jointly with India and in 2003 UNP Government has signed an agreement in leasing the entire Tank farm to Lanka IOC. Misleading the entire country with a beaming smile he keeps white washing an absolute farce and a national crime of selling an important National asset to Indians in the prevailing dollar crunch created by our own so called patriotic leaders.
Trincomalee Tank farm with 102 steel riveted petroleum tanks located in an area spanning 850 acres of prime land adjacent to one of the best natural deep harbours in the world with the dedicated Oil Jetty connected to the Tank farm, need not be given to any other country or any foreign company irrespective of any agreement already said to have been signed with LIOC or any other party. It is imperative that all tanks are held back immediately in government possession and cleanly under SL government control before doing any business development. Despite the arguably unbeneficial way it was done, if Sirimavo Govt of sixties with simple majority had the sovereign will to send away all 5 Oil Majors from this country; what stops the sovereignty of present government with complete executive power of President enjoying the will of the people to take the full control of our own asset of Trinco Tank farm which by no legal agreement has ever been given to any party. COPE findings indicate that there was no legal agreement whatsoever signed in order to lease the aforesaid tanks out to LIOC. The US$ 100,000 p.a or $8333.33 per month lease for all 100 tanks in 850 acres is not worth by any standards given the unprecedented value of the asset in question. Similarly, what is mentioned in the annexure of Indo Lanka accord is no more than a consideration of development of the Tanks jointly with India which is nowhere near a semblance of a legal agreement. So get the LIOC out of the hold on to the tanks first before our minister shows his 32 teeth across our TV screens.
Developing 100 tanks and clearing the 850 Acres of land and pipe line casement and the Oil Jetty in Trinco harbour should be done by Sri Lanka government and continue to own by SL govt . So that Tanks are only hired out on a daily rate “Per CBM per day”; for storage for any party requiring to hire them for Crude Oil, Heavy Fuel Oil, Intermediate Fuel Oil, Refined products such as Diesel, Petrol, Kerosine , Aviation Fuel Etc, using dedicated tanks and separate pipelines to the jetty. It shall cost an affordable amount to Sri Lanka Government needing no loan involvements to clear our own backyard of 850 Acres. Management of that operation shall be done by the government owned or delegated company with corporate efficiency. They also can canvass for business to attract foreign companies to use the tanks for short term and long term storage of petroleum oil only on the basis of ‘per cbm per day rate’ so that there is no question of long term leasing it out to anybody.
It must be further reiterated that there is no need to get into another trap like Hambantota when the Trinco harbour, Tanks Pipe Lines an Jetty and Land are already ours without a cent of debt to any one like in the case of Hambantota then, why invite another country like India to jointly develop it. We must make full use of our own asset for the country’s benefit. Hope the government has learnt the lesson hard way from Hambantota Port, which was built with borrowed US$1800 Million money from China when that money could have been easily used for developing all three container terminals in Colombo South Harbour; East, South & West Container Terminals at the cost of US$ 400 Million each or US$1200 Million in all and earning enough dollars for this country since a decade ago servicing that loan, without loosing half of the SLPA business to foreigners and ending up lifetime lease of Hambantota Port loosing not only the port but also our own land with it. Finally not only we are back to square one but with minus a port, minus money and minus land; the biggest political mistake ever made in the history of this country. That also clearly lead to not only “no return of investment but also set off the beginning of dollar crunch in the country and the avalanche of undue geo-political pressure which is now coming around to Trinco. At least this time, can the Sri Lankan politicians stop giving away National assets like Trinco Tanks to Indians or any other on any condition of sale or lease. One must study the reasons of beginning of Somali Sea Piracy which has its roots in their rulers misuse of power and sale of national assets
The Sri Lankan public shall challenge any expert in the industry or the government to irrefutably justify ;
Why Trinco Tanks should be jointly developed with India or any other country.
Why cant the Govt. do a joint venture with Sri Lankan companies; why Indians ?
Whether it cost an unaffordable amount to develop the tank farm ?
Whether we intend buying and selling oil or look for offering the tanks for storage only ?
What is Lanka IOC doing with 99 tanks when there is no valid agreement with them to lease ?
Why govt cannot totally cancel or remove the unwritten agreements to lease the tanks to LIOC.
Why, atleast it cannot remove the Implication of Trinco Tank farm from any such binding agreements even if they are unable to terminate the Indo- Lanka agreement
Why cant the govt cleanly secure to Sri Lanka all 102 Tanks, pipeline, fuel Jetty and total infrastructure out of any of the parties claiming to have a hold on it.
Thereafter on totally new independent agreement to invite investors to store large volume of oil on a per ton per day rate (including LIOC if required ) only under the control of Sri Lanka.
We Sri Lankans cry and plead !!! not to allow politicians to sell this national asset !! even if it perishes in our soil !! if they do not stop it, we the people have to use our will to stop it
