News
Panic buying of petrol, diesel over fears of oil shortages
Gas almost totally unavailable
Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila’s appeal to motorists this week to use fuel sparingly as the government faced a foreign exchange shortage to import crude oil has sparked panic buying.
Long queues were seen at filling stations in Colombo and elsewhere on Friday after the Ministry said it had diesel stocks for 11 days and petrol for 10 days.
Soon after hearing the country’s fuel stock position announced on radio on Thursday night, motorists rushed to fill up but found filling stations had closed earlier than usual because of the daily night curfew, starting at 10 pm.
By Friday morning, queues were forming outside pumping stations in Colombo and elsewhere.
“The reality is that we are in a foreign currency crisis,” Minister Gammanpila said on Twitter on Tuesday “Please use fuel economically to save foreign currency for much needed medicine & vaccines.”
Earlier too, the outspoken minister had made it clear that the government was unable to hold large buffer stocks of fuel as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was unable to source the dollars needed to finance it.
As motorists rushed to fill up, minister Gammanpila tried to assure that the CPC had sufficient stocks.
“NO FUEL SHORTAGE,” the minister said in capital letters on Twitter and suggested that he would be the first to admit if there was one.
“I have repeatedly stated that if there was a fuel shortage, I would have told the nation before anybody else. I have always been truthful to the people and informed in advance about the price hike. I was the first to announce about the foreign currency crisis.”
By noon, many sheds ran out of Octane 92 petrol and ordinary diesel. At the Alexandra Place shed in Colombo, there was no Super diesel and Octane 92 petrol by noon andhundreds of motorcyclists and diesel SUVs were turned away.
President’s Secretary P. B. Jayasundara had announced earlier this month that the country should reduce petroleum consumption and move towards renewable energy to avoid fuel rationing by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, long queues for LP gas were not seen on Friday as dealers completely ran out of filled cylinders following a run on supplies after Laugfs Gas halted their operations saying they could not sell at the government regulated rates.
The gas shortage had already led to long queues to buy kerosene oil that is used as an alternative cooking fuel and many homes have kerosene stoves before gas.
A discussion with the Catholic Council was held on Thursday (21) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the co-chairmanship of Minister of Science and Technology, Chrishantha Abeysena and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Discussions focused on administrative issues relating to Catholic schools taken over by the Government, the formulation of a structured teacher cadre system for Catholic religious education, the need to recruit Catholic nuns and priests into the teaching profession and the establishment of a mechanism to obtain the support of the Ministry of Education for the administration of Government-acquired Catholic schools.
It was also decided that discussions with the Catholic Council would be held three times annually, while Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage would serve as Secretary to the forum.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of the Catholic Council, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith thanked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Government for facilitating the discussion.
His Eminence further stated that the expectation was to ensure every student, without discrimination, is given the opportunity to learn his or her own religion and stressed the importance of resolving the prevailing issues within the education sector.
Also present at the occasion were Most Rev. Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, Most Rev. Bishop Christy Noel Emmanuel, Most Rev. Bishop Anton Ranjith, Most Rev. Bishop Wimal Siri Jayasuriya, other clergy representing the Catholic Council, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa and senior officials of the Ministry of Education.
(PMD)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to broaden the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, which was launched last year. Unlike the inaugural edition held in November 2025 that featured eight Associate teams, the second edition will comprise 10 teams, including five Test-playing nations. The tournament is scheduled to be held in November this year.
Italian Navy’s ITS GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE, which arrived in Colombo (21 May 2026) on a replenishment visit, departed the island today (22 May).
The Sri Lanka Navy bade a customary farewell to the departing ship in compliance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.
During her brief stay in Colombo, the Commanding Officer of the ship, Commander Antonio BUFIS called on the Commander Western Naval Area at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.
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Italian Navy’s ITS GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE departs following replenishment visit
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
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