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PM: More oil may have to be bought from Russia

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/13

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia to deal with the present fuel crisis.In an interview with the foreign press, Premier Wickremesinghe said on Saturday that he would first look for other sources, but would be open to buying more crude from Russia.The Premier said Sri Lanka desperately needed fuel, and was currently trying to get oil and coal from the country’s traditional suppliers in the Middle East.

The Prime Minister said he did not know whether more orders were in the pipeline.

“If we can get from any other sources, we will get from there. Otherwise (we) may have to go to Russia again,” he said.

Officials are negotiating with private suppliers, but Wickremesinghe said one issue they faced was that “there is a lot of oil going around which can be sourced back informally to Iran or to Russia.”

“Sometimes, we may not know what oil we are buying,” he said. “Certainly, we are looking at the Gulf as our main supply.”

Acknowledging that Sri Lanka’s current predicament was of “its own making,”

the Prime Minister said the war in Ukraine was making it even worse — and that dire food shortages could continue until 2024. He said Russia had also offered wheat to Sri Lanka.Wickremesinghe indicated he would be willing to accept more financial help from China despite the country’s mounting debt.The Prime Minister said his government had been talking with China, about restructuring its debts. Beijing had earlier offered to lend the country more money but balked at cutting the debt, possibly out of concern that other borrowers would demand the same relief.

“China has agreed to come in with the other countries to give relief to Sri Lanka, which is a first step,” Wickremesinghe said. “This means they all have to agree (on) how the cuts are to take place and in what manner they should take place.”

Sri Lanka is also seeking financial assistance from the World Food Programme, which may send a team to the country soon, and Wickremesinghe is banking on a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. But even if approved, he doesn’t expect to see money from the package until October onwards.Wickremesinghe acknowledged that the crisis in Sri Lanka had been of its “own making.” Many have blamed government mismanagement, deep tax cuts in 2019, policy blunders that devastated crops and a sharp plunge in tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic. But he also stressed that the war in Ukraine, which had thrown global supply chains into a tailspin and pushed fuel and food prices to unaffordable levels, has made things much worse.

“The Ukraine crisis has impacted our … economic contraction,” he said, adding that he thinks the economy will shrink even further before the country can begin to recoup and rebuild next year.

“I think by the end of the year, you could see the impact in other countries” as well, he said. “There is a global shortage of food. Countries are not exporting food.”

Wickremesinghe said he felt terrible watching his nation suffer, “both as a citizen and a Prime Minister.” He said he hasn’t ever seen anything like this in Sri Lanka — and didn’t think he ever would. “I have generally been in governments where I ensured people had three meals and their income increased,” he said. “We’ve had difficult times. … But not like this. I have not seen … people without fuel, without food.”

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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Kegalle, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts during the day time

Published

5 hours ago

2026/04/29

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 28 April 2026, valid for 29 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Kegalle,
Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts during the day time.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

Treasury chief’s citizenship details sought from Australia

Published

7 hours ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nagananda / Harshana

New controversy erupts over missing USD 2.5 mn:

Public interest activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has sought citizenship details of Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma from the Department of Home Affairs, Australia.

According to a letter dated 28 April, addressed to the relevant department, Solicitor England and Wales Kodituwakku sought the required information in terms of Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act No 3 of 1982 of Australia. Suriyapperuma is also the Secretary to the Treasury.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Suriyapperuma (from November 2024 to June 2025) is embroiled in a deepening controversy over the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.

The leader of the Vinivida Foundation said that he intended to move court against Suriyapperuma for entering Parliament through the NPP National List in violation of the country’s Constitution (Article 91(1)(d)(xiiii).

Kodituwakku said: “This is clearly an accountability and integrity issue and violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and also this act contravenes the law of a member in the Commonwealth.”

USD 2.5 mn paid to a third party was meant to be an instalment of a loan taken from Australia. Suriyapperuma neither responded to an SMS nor answered his hand phone.

Geetha Kumarasinghe (UPFA/Galle District) and Diana Gamage (SJB National List) lost their seats in 2017 and 2024, respectively, over citizenship issues.

Meanwhile, public interest group ‘Free Lawyers’ that exposed the theft of Treasury funds questioned the failure on the part of Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), to pressure President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to temporarily remove Suriyapperuma to facilitate unhindered investigations.

On behalf of ‘Free Lawyers’, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday expressed concern over the way the CoPF, under SJBer de Silva’s leadership, handled the issue at hand. Issuing an open letter, Tennakoon, urged the CoPF chief to explain his stand on a spate of vital issues which needed to be addressed without any further delay.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara

Published

7 hours ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara (Sue Tue Nhan) at the conclusion of the 161 km ‘International Peace Walk’ in Colombo yesterday. The Bo-sapling will be taken to the US by the spiritual leader. Pic by Sujata Jayaratne