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Fuel restrictions for next 12 months, QR code due to insufficient stocks 

26 Jul 2022

  • No fuel ordered post-15 August: SJB
  • Fuel pass system still a pilot, ICTA says  
BY Safrah Fazal The quick response (QR) code system was implemented due to the inability to fulfil the daily demand for fuel, as fuel imports have been restricted for the next 12 months owing to the shortage in foreign reserves, said Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera. Wijesekera made this statement on his official Twitter account yesterday (25). “The QR system was introduced since the daily fuel demand cannot be fulfilled. Due to forex issues, fuel imports have to be restricted in the next 12 months. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO/CPC) has never distributed fuel daily to every single fuel station. Practically, this is not possible even when stocks are unlimited.” In a separate Twitter message on the same day, Wijesekera also said that the national fuel pass will be implemented islandwide from today (26) in multiple locations at CPC and Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) filling stations, and adding that the system with the last digit of the vehicle number plate will be in operation until 1 August.  “From 1 August, only the QR code system quota will be in place and the last digit of the number plate system and other allocations will be invalid. Stations not equipped or having technical difficulties will follow the last digit of the number plate system and the fuel quota allocation until the technical issues are rectified. A total of 60% of the locations have already been equipped and tested and they will be given a priority in fuel distribution.” He added that options will be given for users to register multiple vehicles with their business registration by the end of the week and for Government institutions to register their vehicles. Divisional Secretaries (DSs) will be given access to the platform to register generators, gardening equipment, and other equipment, he said.  Meanwhile, the Police Department and Divisional Secretaries will be given access to register three-wheelers, allocating each three-wheeler to one specific fuel station, while the Ministry of Transport will be given access to register buses, allocating them to depots or fuel stations accordingly. He added: “Other services such as health, agriculture, fisheries, tourism industries and service providing sectors will be given access to the system to register their requirements and the allocation of vehicles at fuel stations.” Wijesekera requested all fuel station owners of CPC and LIOC filling stations to adopt the system immediately while stating that distribution will be strictly enforced to fuel stations with the QR code facilities by 1 August.  “We request the public to register with the National Fuel Pass and to support the initiative,” he said. Earlier in the day, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) National Organiser and Opposition MP Tissa Attanayake had alleged that the QR code system was implemented to prolong the use of the fuel stocks that are currently available in the country as no order has been placed to procure fuel after 15 August. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Attanayake said that the daily consumption of petrol in the country is about 3,500 metric tonnes (MT) while the daily diesel consumption is between 4,500-6,000 MT.  “By distributing fuel through the QR code system, they are bringing down the daily usage of petrol to 2,000 MT and diesel to 3,000 MT. That’s the aim of the QR code system. This is because there is no order placed to bring down fuel to the country after 15 August. Until September, there is no mechanism to bring down fuel to the country. In the guise of resolving the fuel crisis, the QR code system is actually being implemented to prolong the use of the stocks of fuel that are available.” He further charged that the Government does not have a systematic strategy to resolve the fuel crisis, and pointed out that there is still no ease in fuel queues even after the national fuel pass system was introduced.  “Although they have said that the QR code system is being implemented to distribute fuel in a methodical manner, are people able to pump fuel by showing the QR code and the last digit on their number plate? It’s still not being implemented effectively today. Pilot projects were launched over the past few days, but there is no ease in the fuel queues.” Attanayake also said that fuel queue-related deaths are being reported daily, similar to Covid-19 deaths. Speaking further, he said: “They have reopened schools three days a week, but the teachers, students, and other staff should have transport to travel to schools. The private bus associations are saying that they can only operate at 45-50% capacity. There is no fuel for private vehicles at all, because these are not on the priority list. Look at the situation of the health sector. How many pregnant females have been inconvenienced by the inability to visit hospitals as a result of the fuel crisis? The Government has no solutions.” Meanwhile, the issuance of fuel under the National Fuel Pass or QR code system was carried out only at a few selected filling stations yesterday as well. While some among the public were hopeful of the new system in terms of dispensing fuel, lengthy queues were observed across the island yesterday. Although it was previously planned to implement the QR system at filling stations across the island as of yesterday, the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) said that owing to the current situation, the system was implemented as a pilot project yesterday. They also stated that it would take a few more days to implement the system across the island.  Commenting on this further to the media, Dasun Hegoda of the ICTA stated that their aim is to gradually expand this as a pilot project across the island in several stages. He said that they have successfully implemented the pilot project in a few selected locations and that they have implemented this in several areas around Colombo. In addition, he said that they have implemented the pilot project in 25 filling stations in 25 districts and that they hope to enter the responses from this into the system and to implement this system within the next few days. Meanwhile, Wijesekera said on Sunday (24) that the fuel pass system was successfully tested at 20 locations islandwide with 4,708 vehicles. He further said that the CPC was scheduled to test at 25 locations, noting however that due to the non-placement of orders, delays in placing orders and delays in delivery, the five locations that were not tested will be tested in the next two days.


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