Sri Lanka PM reveals plan to prevent tuk-tuk fuel shortage
ECONOMYNEXT- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said the government has planned to maintain supply of fuel for three wheelers in a manner that will not be create a shortage, his office said on Friday (03).
Sri Lanka has nearly more than 1 million three wheels and it has become a source of self employments for nearly 1 million people, official data show.
Many three wheel drivers lost their usual earnings while some lost their livelihoods due to fuel shortage and long queues for fuel amid the price sharply increased to record high.
Wickremesinghe had discussions regarding the supply maintenance of fuel with representatives of the Three Wheeler Associations on Thursday (02), his office said.
“The Prime Minister agreed to support the establishment of a three wheeler regulatory body,” his office said in a statement.
Sri Lanka needs around $500 million a month to import required fuel, while the country’s dollar shortage has forced the island nation to depend on an Indian credit line for fuel and essentials from March this year.
“Therefore, discussions were held at length on measures to be taken to protect the three wheeler industry in the face of the crisis facing the country in the future,” it said.
In addition to this discussion, Wickremesinghe had meeting with representatives of the Petrol Station Owners’ Association, in which the security of the petrol stations and the regularization of fuel supply was discussed.
Security of the petrol stations and the regularization of fuel supply have become priority after a mob torched a fuel station owner’s residence in Anuradhapura on May 21, using a petrol bomb.
(Colombo/June 03/2022)
