Sri Lanka's Fuel Bill increased by USD 4 Bn - Bandula

COLOMBO (News 1st); Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said that the Cabinet of Ministers was informed that there would be no shortage of gas in the country from the 1st of August 2022.

Dr. Gunawardena said a serious issue has arisen with regard to fuel as the it is the highest expenditure for the state at present.

He said that USD 6.7 Billion was estimated for fuel purchases for 2022, however, the cost of importing fuel has increased by USD 4 Billion, adding that such an increase is one that cannot be easily undertaken by a small economy like Sri Lanka.

He said in order to address the issue, the government allowed the Energy Minister to introduce the QR Code System to issue fuel based on a quota system.

The Cabinet Spokesperson said that Four Million vehicles have registered for this program, and on Monday (25) at 245 Filling Stations across the country Diesel and Petrol was issued for 70,123 vehicles solely based on the QR system.

He urged the general public to exercise patience when purchasing fuel, given the issue at hand.