SriLankan Airlines told to pay for jet fuel in dollars -- or else

The Energy Ministry has officially informed SriLankan Airlines that it will not supply jet fuel if the payment is not made in dollars.

Energy Ministry Secretary K. D. R. Olga said the ministry officially conveyed its decision last week and told the national carrier to make the dollar payments to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) through the state bank network.

“If we are to supply jet fuel, we need dollars. We have been telling the airline about this for some time. But last week we informed it officially. The airline earns dollars. Therefore, if we are to clear shipments, we informed the company that it has to send dollars to the state bank system,” she said.

drugs or alcohol given to her by the perpetrator or some other person; where the woman believes the perpetrator to be her husband; or where her consent is obtained through force, threats, intimidation, the fear of injury and/or death; or while she was in unlawful detention.

Rape “with consent” pertains to adolescents entering into consensual relationships at an early age, sometimes with parental approval and could also be living together. Under Sri Lankan common law, a girl can consent to sex after 16 but can only marry at 18. The Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, however, sets the minimum marriage age at 12.

The performance report only reflects cases where complaints were lodged. Globally, rape and sexual abuse are significantly underreported. In 2019, there were 289 cases of rape of women older than 16. This grew to 300 last year-- an average of 5.7 sexual assaults a week.

There were 305 incidents of rape of girls under 16 (without consent) in 2019. Last year, this shot up to 361-- nearly seven a week. Rape “with consent”, however, was the highest reported type of crime, the police said, with 1,185 crimes reported in 2019 and 1,292 last year--around 24 a week.

“When analysing data, it becomes evident that the total crimes that come under the above three categories in 2020 have increased compared to those in 2017,” the Police Department states.

The report also points to “a considerable growth in crimes related to narcotics” last year when compared with 2019. The jump from 4,340 cases to 6,811 is a difference of 57 percent. While the numbers of cannabis, opium, morphine and hashish- related crimes have dropped, offences involving heroin show “a gradual development”--an increase of 17 percent last year. But the prosecution percentage was, according to the report, 92 percent.

There were also 49 offences related to cocaine in 2020, a 63 percent decline when compared with the previous year. The prosecution percentage is given as 94 percent.

Police statistics also reflect the huge spike in illicit liquor production last year, particularly tied to the various lockdowns when alcohol was not on sale. Hence, illicit distillation skyrocketed by 80 percent, with legal action taken in relation to 15,650 cases -- 86 percent of the total. Of these, 10,935 cases were closed with the perpetrators being found guilty.

Production of liquor without licence also soared by 307 percent last year. There were increases, too, in selling and possession of illicit liquor; selling and possession of artificial or synthetic toddy; and selling and possession of illegally-produced spirits.

As a total, crimes reported under the Excise Ordinance grew last year by 31 percent--or, from 112,414 offences to 147,561.

Among the reported offences that declined by various degrees last year are abduction, kidnapping, burglaries, homicide ( marginally), robbery, grave sexual crimes ( again, marginally), criminal breach of trust and misuse of amounts exceeding Rs 300,000 and theft of property worth more than Rs 25,000. The report cites high percentages for solving nearly all of the crimes mentioned but does not specify what this means. Datagathering methods are also not described.