- Govt. moves to mitigate shortages in the festive season
A committee overseeing the distribution of essential goods has decided to appoint five officials from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to liaise with all Ministries and address fuel-related issues, the President’s Media Division announced.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee, chaired by Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake, held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (27).
According to the PMD, the appointed CPC officials will be tasked with identifying fuel-related issues within institutions under each ministry and intervening to provide solutions in coordination with the CPC.
During the discussion, it was also revealed that industrialists have raised concerns that the current fuel quota allocated for vehicles used in the distribution of goods is insufficient. It was noted that failure to address these concerns could lead to an increase in the prices of goods, placing an added burden on the public during the festive season.
The committee also reviewed the issuance of fuel for the distribution of essential food items by both State and private sector entities, including Lanka Sathosa, wholesale importers, tourism service providers, hotels, and other service-oriented institutions.
Accordingly, it was decided that requests for increased fuel quotas from such institutions should be carefully assessed and acted upon promptly, with all requests to be channelled to the Ministry of Energy through the respective line ministries.
Attention was also drawn to the need to expedite the implementation of a QR code-based system for fuel distribution to sectors such as agriculture and fisheries. This system is to be based on recommendation letters issued by relevant Government officials, including agricultural research officers, replacing the previous method of direct fuel allocation.
Minister Rathnayake stressed the importance of maintaining a continuous and well-managed fuel supply, particularly to ensure the uninterrupted distribution of goods and to prevent excessive price increases during the upcoming Sinhala and Hindu New Year season.
The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Deputy Minister of Power Arkam Ilyas, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, and CPC Chairman D.J. Rajakaruna.