The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday that fuel prices have been increased at a time when the fuel prices in the world market was on the decline for the last two weeks and that it was an unfair move.
Former JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake told a news conference that fuel prices were on the decline since the last two weeks due to travel restrictions imposed in the European countries amidst the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
"Fuel prices were at a higher rate in November. But, it has been on the decline for the last couple of weeks. The price of a barrel of fuel was stipulated to decrease to US$ 60 in the coming days. Hence, it is highly unreasonable to increase fuel prices in Sri Lanka in such a situation," he said.
Mr. Ratnayake said fuel prices have been increased by an unprecedented margin and that fuel prices had not been increased in such big margin even during the toughest times such as the war and when a barrel of fuel fetched US$ 97 in 2013.
He said it was discussed to increase fuel prices at the Cabinet meeting on December 14 and added that the prices were not increased since Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was in the country and it was delayed until he had left to the US.(Daily Mirror)