The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said yesterday (3) that the nearly eight-hour-long scheduled power outage will continue for the third consecutive day, today (4).
In a statement issued last evening, the PUCSL said that the power shedding for today will be the same as yesterday’s, lasting a total of seven hours and 30 minutes, divided into a five-hour slot during the morning time and a two-hour slot in the evening time.
On Tuesday (1), PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake blamed the foreign exchange crisis, aggravated by “wrong monetary policies” for the country’s fuel shortage which led to the power crisis. However, on Wednesday (2), he said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had informed him that all necessary actions will be taken to avert the power crisis.
Overnight fuel lines were seen across the country this week, with diesel being completely out of stock in most fuel pumping stations, heavily impacting the public transport, fisheries, and agriculture sectors. However, then-Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila told the media on Wednesday that Sri Lanka made a payment of $ 31 million to a ship carrying 37,300 metric tonnes (MT) of diesel on that very day.
Sri Lanka has been struggling with nearly five-hour long power cuts in the past few days due to the fuel crisis. Last week, Gammanpila admitted in the Parliament that the ongoing US dollar crisis has led to a challenging situation with regard to fuel imports. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has, through the Energy Ministry, been requesting a fuel price hike from the Government. Its challenges have been aggravated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, following which crude oil prices in the global market rose to an all time high since 2014.
However, at the special Cabinet of Ministers’ meeting on 22 February to discuss the power and energy crises, it was decided to not revise fuel prices and for the Government to settle a payment of Rs. 80 billion to the CPC for the continuous supply of fuel. The Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) has increased its fuel prices twice this month – the latest being for diesel by Rs. 15 per litre and for petrol by Rs. 20 per litre.
Approximately 8-hour power outage for third day today
04 Mar 2022
Approximately 8-hour power outage for third day today
04 Mar 2022