The fuel crisis in Sri Lanka has deepened due to the war in Western Asia. The government has imposed 4-day work a week and fuel rationing. Private vehicles will get 15 liters of fuel per week and public events have also been banned.
Colombo: Due to the ongoing war in Western Asia, Sri Lanka is once again facing a serious fuel crisis. The Sri Lankan government has taken many strict steps to deal with this difficult situation. According to a report by Channel News Asia, now there will be work only four days a week in the country. This decision has been taken due to the fear of closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict has now entered its third week, increasing the difficulties of countries that are heavily dependent on imported fuel. Earlier, Pakistan had also imposed similar strict restrictions. Sri Lanka was slowly recovering from the economic recession of 2022 when this new crisis knocked. The government wants to reduce fuel consumption before the situation worsens.
Declaration of holiday every Wednesday
Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabhat Chandrakirti said that these new rules will also apply to schools and universities and will continue till further orders. He has appealed to the private sector also to adopt the same model and asked to declare every Wednesday as a holiday.
This announcement was made after an emergency meeting chaired by President Anura Kumar Dissanayake. “We must prepare for the worst, but hope for the best,” the President said. However, essential services like hospitals, ports and emergency operations will continue to function as before.
Only 15 liters of petrol a week
From March 15, private vehicle drivers will get only 15 liters of petrol or diesel a week. At the same time, public transport vehicles will be given up to 200 liters of fuel. Officials estimate that the stock of petrol and diesel in the country will last only for about six weeks.
Let us tell you that Sri Lanka is dependent on imports for its entire oil requirement. Even coal to generate electricity is imported from outside. The country buys refined petroleum products from Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, while crude oil comes from the Middle East. To reduce travel and fuel consumption, public events have also been banned for the time being. Also, wherever possible, government employees have been asked to work from home.