Sri Lanka to operate only essential services till July 10 amidst acute fuel shortage
India Today
The Sri Lankan government announced on Monday that only essential services will operate from midnight till July 10 as the island nation has been facing a crippling fuel crisis.
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 shortages.
The move came days after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday 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 Ministers 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 for work from home programme,” he said, urging the public to support the government's move to limit the consumption of fuel.
