Several services declared as essential : PMD

Several services, including transportation of passengers and food have been declared as essential services with immediate effect, the President’s Media Division   said.

The relevant gazette notification has been issued.

A statement from the PMD said “President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed a Gazette notification a short while ago declaring public transports services for passengers or goods, discharge, carriage, landing, storage, delivery & removal of articles of food or drink, or coal, oil, fuel from vessels within any port as defined for the purposes of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235),  the provision and maintenance of facilities for transport services by road, rail or air, including roads, bridges, culverts, airports, ports & railway lines, as essential services with immediate effect .”

The move comes after several Trade Unions announced their plans to call for protest campaigns and strikes on March 1 on a series of issues including postponement of elections and to call for the removal of high taxes.