The Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (SLBA) yesterday in a statement assured the public that banks would continue to operate on all five weekdays as an essential service, despite the temporary measures introduced to conserve fuel and energy resources.

The statement said: Accordingly, banks will remain open from Monday to Friday, including Wednesdays, with operations on Wednesdays limited to the hours of 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Customers will therefore continue to have access to core banking services throughout the week without disruption.

Reaffirming its commitment to supporting national priorities during this period, the SLBA urged customers to make greater use of digital and online banking channels, including mobile banking applications and internet banking platforms, to carry out routine transactions. Customers are also encouraged to rationalise travel and visit bank branches only for essential requirements.

The Association emphasised that these measures are in line with broader efforts to conserve fuel and energy, and called onthe public to support the national initiative by avoiding non-essential travel and minimising unnecessary energy usage wherever possible.

The SLBA expressed confidence that the prevailing global uncertainties impacting fuel supplies will stabilise in the near term, enabling Sri Lanka’s economy to continue its forward momentum without prolonged disruption.

The Sri Lanka Banks’ Association is the apex body representing all Licensed Commercial Banks and Licensed Specialised Banks in the country.

Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Ratnayake yesterday told Parliament that issues faced by the public in obtaining fuel QR codes would be addressed within the day.

Responding to a query, the Minister said fuel consumption in several districts had risen to nearly double the usual levels, placing added strain on the distribution system.

He said difficulties in accessing QR codes had primarily affected individuals using mismatched vehicle and phone number records, including owners of older vehicles with new phone numbers and those with newly registered vehicles linked to old numbers. He assured that steps were being taken to rectify these issues promptly.

The Minister noted that no such complications had been reported among users with consistent records, such as old vehicles paired with original phone numbers or new vehicles registered with updated contact details.

Providing an update on the system, he said around seven million users were registered under the QR programme in 2023, with the figure expected to increase to approximately 7.2 million this year. At present, about 5.5 million users have completed registration.

He said approximately 2.7 million outdated entries in the database had been removed over a two-day period as part of system improvements.

Minister Ratnayake said some filling stations had reported sales volumes reaching up to two-and-a-half times normal levels, exerting pressure on storage and distribution capacities. He urged the public to avoid panic, expressing confidence that the situation would normalise by today.

He said the “odd-even” fuel distribution system had been introduced to ease unnecessary pressure, although the QR-based system alone was sufficient to manage distribution efficiently.

The Minister also clarified that vehicle owners without number plates could still obtain fuel by producing valid documentation, including a revenue licence, emission certificate, vehicle registration certificate or insurance certificate, all of which carry the registration number.

He added that once the system stabilises, authorities would take action against any fraudulent activities linked to fuel distribution.

By Saman Indrajith

Sri Lanka has been ranked among the least happy countries in the World Happiness Report 2026, placing 134th with a score of 4.0.

The latest report shows Sri Lanka slipping one position from 133rd in 2025, ranking alongside Ethiopia and trailing behind regional neighbours India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Finland topped the global rankings as the happiest country, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica and Sweden. Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand, Mexico, Ireland, Belgium and Australia completed the top 15.

The report, compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, is based on findings from the Gallup World Poll, which surveys respondents in 147 countries.

Participants are asked to evaluate their lives using the Cantril Ladder scale, ranging from 0, representing the worst possible life, to 10, representing the best possible life.

Researchers analyse six key factors; GDP per capita, life expectancy, generosity, and perceptions of freedom and corruption to explain differences between countries. Rankings are calculated using a three-year average to minimise fluctuations caused by major events such as conflicts or economic crises.