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The decision came into effect on March 19 at the initiative of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. The authorities expect this scheme to help reduce queues at gas stations and distribute limited resources more evenly.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Sri Lanka has not received two shipments of crude oil totaling about 90,000 tons. He said even one delay has a tangible impact on the situation as the country’s fuel reserves are limited. At the same time, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said that the main problem was not financial difficulties, but logistical difficulties: insurance companies refuse to cover transportation risks in the region.
Against this background, priority in fuel supply has been given to the tourism industry. Separate QR codes have been introduced for transportation and hotels, and the limits of fuel issue for such companies have been doubled. The authorities also assure that no shortage of liquefied gas is expected yet: the supply volumes exceed the monthly needs and new batches are already being sent to the country.
Nevertheless, the energy situation remains tense. The government admits the possibility of power outages if supply disruptions persist.
The crisis is caused by the aggravation of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant part of the world’s oil exports usually passes. Since early March, transportation in the region has been seriously disrupted after US and Israeli military action against Iran. Experts warn that the consequences may affect not only the fuel market, but also high-tech industries – in particular, the production of microchips and the cost of electricity in Asian countries.
