Minister of Energy, Ports and Civil Aviation – Anura Karunatilaka stated today (May 19) that there had been no requirement to pay demurrage charges for any vessel under either the main coal procurement tender or the emergency procurement tender this year, and that the confusion being created in society regarding demurrage charges was a false perception based entirely on inaccurate information.

Minister Anura Karunatilaka made these remarks at a special media briefing held today at the Department of Government Information.

The Minister further stated that while coal unloading operations were ongoing for certain vessels and some ships were yet to complete unloading, no additional cost had been imposed either on the Lanka Coal Company or on electricity consumers.

He said that all coal vessels had failed to arrive on schedule due to various reasons, and therefore no demurrage charges had arisen in respect of any of those ships.