Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development A. H. M. Fowzie of Sri Lanka

Fowzie is a much sought after visitor as Sri Lanka is about to offer six oil blocks for exploration in about three months.

Fowzie says that he is silently awaiting the President's decision on yesterday's (Nov 28th) Supreme Court ruling which directed President Mahinda Rajapaksa to takeover the Petroleum Ministry.

Mr Fowzie has just been a name in this game, and his head being chopped for no decision of his.

Fowzie has any sense of decency he should resign forthwith.

Fowzie is Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development and also holds portfolios for highways, health and social services.

Fowzie said he had initially planned to postpone the bidding round but decided against it on the advice of his experts as Sri Lanka had to compete with countries like the USA, UK, Australia, India, Angola and Barbados which offered exploration blocks around the same time.

Fowzie said a parliamentary committee had been appointed to oversee the exploration work.

Petroleum minister A H M Fowzie said Sri Lanka would have lost the confidence of global oil firms if it had postponed the bids for offshore exploration and was keen to ensure transparency in the bidding.

Fowzie has said that his cabinet colleague Mr.

with her and she firmly believed that they would be together.

Fowzie is not a man to mince his words.

Fowzie has made no bones of the fact he intends voting for the amendment, stating the need of the hour is stability to strengthen the peace process.

Continuing, Fowzie said if the intention of the party is to protect the president, the only way it could be done is by supporting the amendment and keeping the party in tact.

Apr17 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Department of Railways is planning to rent locomotives from India, Transport Minister A H M Fowzie said Monday.

Last week’s rise in diesel prices is expected to make a further dent in the finances, but Minister Fowzie says no fare hike is planned.

Minister Fowzie says initially five locomotives would be rented from India.

Minister Fowzie said he requested the authorities to allow government workers more time to report to work under the new security regulations.

Asked how to guarantee the safety of the civilians while air force bombs civilians in the north, Minister Fowzie said the government has no intention of dragging the conflict any longer and committed to find a negotiated settlement.

Fowzie said the CPC had made a profit of over 500 million rupees from oil futures hedging in March while its refinery makes a profit of 600 million rupees a month which will help it maintain present prices.

Neighbour’s worry: Sri Lanka has set aside an estimated US $300,000 to study and evaluate India’s Sethusamudram canal project, environment minister A H M Fowzie said recently.

Thus, when the ministers met Tuesday, December 23, only Minister Fowzie took up the cause of justice, arguing strenuously not to confront the Supreme Court but his was a voice in the wilderness.

Not stopping at that, Fowzie said the Supreme Court has very clearly stated the people have a right to seek relief in terms of the constitution when there is arbitrary executive action and that it was silly to want time to study such a simple order.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Petroleum, A H M Fowzie said the tender would be closed in January and the bid would be awarded sometime in 2008.

Fowzie said the Sri Lankan economy had been doing well despite acts of terrorism in parts of the island nation.

Fowzie said over 40 foreign firms showed interest when the government shared data on three out of eight blocks earmarked for exploration, during roadshows held in London, Houston and Malaysia last month.

Fowzie had told the group of MMCs who met him that he was not in favour of suspension.

Speaking in Parliament, Fowzie said the government was incurring heavy losses by selling diesel and kerosene at low prices.

Fowzie said that Sri Lanka conducted seismic surveys in 2002 and 2005 that revealed there are high chances of finding oil in the Mannar Basin which covers an area of 35,000 km, stretching from Mannar to Kalutara.

Petroleum and Petro-leum Resources Development Minister AHM Fowzie said he had given a firm in the United Arab Emirates a two-year window to begin the new 100,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery.

Fowzie said he did not know when the new refinery, to be located in Hambantota, on the island's tsunami-battered southeast coast, would come on line or reach full production.

Fowzie had said in April that Sri Lanka was seeking a $500-million loan from Saudi Arabia to double the capacity of the existing refinery, scrapping a plan for a separate private plant as trade unions blocked the proposal, fearing it might lead to a wider privatisation of the oil sector.

Fowzie said the government is still negotiating with India and China which have been offered one block each in the Mannar Basin.

Fowzie said the work on the blocks for tapping oil would commence from August.