Sri Lanka facing virtual standstill after indefinite delay of fuel shipment

ECONOMYEXT – Sri Lanka is looking at a virtual standstill as a promised shipment of petrol, diesel and crude oil has been indefinitely delayed yet again, with existing stocks to be prioritised for public transport, power generation and industries.

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara tweeted Saturday June 25 afternoon that the supplier had communicatd to the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) of its inability to deliver the shipment on time due to banking and logistical reasons.

Fuel Update
1) Regret to inform that CPC has informed me that the suppliers that had confirmed Petrol, Diesel and CrudeOil Shipments to arrive earlier this week and next week has communicated the inability to fulfill the deliveries on time for banking and logistic reasons.

— Kanchana Wijesekera (@kanchana_wij) June 25, 2022

“Until the next shipments are at [the Colombo Port] and unloaded, public transport, power generation and industries will be given priority. Limited stocks of diesel and petrol will be distributed to limited stations throughout next week and [we] request the public not to line up for fuel.

“At the moment, the CPC is not able to confirm the arrival dates of the shipments with the new developments. Refinery operations will be temporarily closed until the next crude shipment. We are working with all new and existing suppliers. I apologise for the delay and inconvenience,” the minister said.

Sri Lanka is going through its worst ever forex crisis, leading to unprecedented shortages in fuel and other essentials. Fuel queues that extend for miles has been a common sight throughout urban centres around the island. (Colombo/Jun25/2022)