As the country’s fuel shortage continues to grow, Sri Lanka has decided to ban fuel for private vehicles. Due to banking and logistical issues, Sri Lanka will not receive the cargo of petrol, diesel and crude that were due to arrive this week and next week.
There is acute shortage of necessities like food, medicine, cooking gas and petrol. Sri Lanka As a result of its biggest economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The virtually bankrupt island nation, which experienced a severe foreign exchange crisis that led to defaults on foreign debt, said in April that it would postpone payments of about $7 billion. Its about $25 billion in outstanding foreign debt by 2026. The total amount of Sri Lanka’s debt.
Food security, agriculture, livelihoods and access to healthcare have all been hit hard by the economic crisis. Due to shortage of seeds, fertilisers, petrol and finance, food production during the recent harvest season was 40% to 50% lower than the previous year.
According to Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, the suppliers have told state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) that they will not make the scheduled deliveries due to banking and logistic issues.
“Sri Lanka will not get the consignment of petrol, diesel and crude oil scheduled for this week and next week,” Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said on Saturday.
In a later statement, Wijecekera stressed that – until the subsequent shipments arrive – priority will be given to industry, power generation and public transport. As a result, some gas stations will have limited supplies of diesel and gasoline during the next week.
The minister urged people to avoid waiting in the gas lines and said that the refinery operations will be stopped till the next shipment of crude oil arrives.
“We are working with all new and existing suppliers. I apologize for the delay and inconvenience,” he said.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has listed Sri Lanka as one of the few countries that will go hungry in 2022 as a result of the projected worldwide food crisis.
According to the most recent surveys, 86 percent of households are using at least one coping method, such as limiting food intake, which also includes skipping meals. 4.9 million people, or 22% of Sri Lanka’s population, are currently living in need of food aid.
(with ANI inputs)