Sri Lanka suspends fuel sales for two weeks: official

The government announced that only essential services will operate from midnight till July 10.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced a two-week halt to all fuel sales except for essential services and appealed to the private sector to work from home as it ran out of supplies.

“From midnight today, no fuel will be sold except for essential services like the health sector, because we want to conserve the little reserves we have,” government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan government on Monday announced that only essential services will operate from midnight till July 10 and all other operations will be temporarily suspended as the crisis-hit nation faces acute fuel shortage.

The move came days after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday last said that the debt-laden economy of the island nation has “collapsed” after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity, and cannot even purchase imported oil.

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Minister decided that only essential services will operate from Monday midnight to July 10.

“Fuel will be issued only to health, defence, power and export sectors from midnight today until July 10,” Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena told reporters.

The state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will issue diesel and petrol only for essential services with effect from midnight, it said.

These services include ports, airports, health, food distribution and agriculture, the report said, quoting transport minister Gunawardena.

“All other sectors must prepare from work from home programme,” he said, urging the public to support the government’s move to limit the consumption of fuel.

Only essential services will be allowed to function till July 10 and all other operations will be temporarily suspended, the minister said.

While the government said talks were held with India for a fresh credit line, negotiations to buy discounted Russian oil have also got underway.

A ministerial delegation is to visit Russia for talks, the government said. (Agencies).