Ending months of speculation, Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera finally publicized the fuel prize formula, which remained a hot topic in the political circles for three months. 

Samaraweera, at one point, openly admitted that even he could not understand how the fuel price formula was calculated. 

However, according to the formula that was publicized today, it was a simple calculation that even an O/Level Maths student would be able to come to terms with.

The final price, according to the formula, is determined by the landed cost (V1), processing cost (V2), administrative cost (V3) and taxation (V4)  (Maximum Retail Price = V1 + V2 + V3 + V4). 

"Tax for Diesel is Rs 25.48, Tax for Petrol is Rs 53.68. The public can now start to calculate the oil prices as a hobby before 10th every month if they are good with numbers," Samaraweera said today, presenting the formula. 

"What this explains, however, is that the Finance Minister is bad with numbers," a journalist present at the press conference quipped. 

"If the Finance Minister cannot understand a simple A + B + C + D kind of calculation," he added, "God bless the country's economy!" 

"So it's not by accident that our economy is in the current shape," the journalist said on the sidelines of the press conference.