New administration takes immediate action to ease fuel and LP gas shortage

Despite initial supply issues, the new administration headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has taken immediate action to ease worries of a fuel and LP gas shortage of consumers who are being forced to wait in long queues to buy gas or fuel, official sources said. 

A special committee headed by  former minister Sagala Ratnayake appointed by the new PM announced  that they will be able to issue uninterrupted gas and fuel supplies to the market and fuel filling stations soon.

This was revealed at a special discussion held with the participation of Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, top officials of the Central Bank, Finance Ministry, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Litro Gas and the Bank of Ceylon.

It has been revealed that there was an issue of making payments for fuel shipments at present due to dollar shortage at present but all attempts will be made to clear fuel shipments which will be arriving in the country and which are already anchored at the Colombo port.

A stock of diesel from an oil tanker is being unloaded at the port and another diesel shipment is expected to arrive in the island on May 19.and a LP gas shipment will reach Colombo port on May 17.      

A Litro Gas official noted that it will be able to issue 100,000 gas cylinders to the market daily in the coming days and prevent any shortages.

He noted that currently, the company incurs a net loss of Rs. 2,000 per cylinder due to high global market prices. (Bandula).