Sri Lanka has announced to reduce working days to save fuel. This decision has been taken in view of the possibility of a long-lasting war in the Middle East. Let us tell you that due to America-Israel and Iran war, oil imports from Hormuz State are being affected. About 20% of the world’s oil was supplied through the Strait of Hormuz. It has been almost shut down by Iran in response to its ongoing war with America and Israel. This war has now reached its third week.
Sri Lanka’s Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabhat Chandrakirti said that from Wednesday, government offices will work only four days a week. These new strict rules will also apply to schools and universities and this system will continue indefinitely. Chandrakirti said after the emergency meeting, we are also appealing to the private sector to do the same and declare every Wednesday a holiday from now on.
Be prepared for bad situations in advance: President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was also present in this meeting. The President said, we should be prepared for the worst situation, but also hope for the best. He also clarified that essential services like hospitals, ports and emergency services will continue to function as before. The government has stopped all official functions for the time being and has asked employees to work from home wherever possible so that fuel consumption can be reduced. Sri Lanka fulfills its entire oil requirement from imports and also buys coal from outside to generate electricity.
Only 15 liters of oil a week for vehicles
Fuel rationing has also been started from Sunday. Now every driver will get only 15 liters of petrol or diesel a week, whereas public transport is being given up to 200 litres. According to officials, the country’s stock of petrol and diesel can last for about 6 weeks. But if there is any interruption in new supply, the situation can become very bad. Sri Lanka buys finished petroleum products from Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, while crude oil comes from the Middle East, which is used in the refinery built with the help of Iran.
Sri Lanka is facing economic crisis
The government has warned that if the fighting in the Middle East escalates or continues for a long time, it could have a major impact on efforts to recover from the economic crisis of 2022. Due to exhaustion of foreign exchange in 2022, Sri Lanka was not able to repay its debt of $46 billion. After this, Sri Lanka got a bailout package of 2.9 billion dollars from IMF.