Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says that more fuel stocks will be issued to the market from tomorrow as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) is expecting more shipments on the 09th and 10th of June.

Meanwhile, steps will be taken to provide diesel to private sector buses, school buses as well as buses and vans in the tourism sector through Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots from tomorrow (June 08), in order to ensure that transportation services in the country are not affected.

Addressing the parliament today, the minister said the CPC had to issue limited stocks of diesel and petrol to the market over the past few days in a bid to manage the existing stocks until the arrival of the next shipment.

However, most stocks will be released to the market from tomorrow as the government was able to secure fuel shipments which are expected to arrive in the next few days, the lawmaker added.

“We release 3,200 metric tonnes of diesel daily to the market. We only release 2,800 metric tonnes of petrol although we have to release 3,400 metric tonnes. We expect to release 3,000 metric tonnes and 5,000 metric tonnes of petrol and diesel from tomorrow. The next shipment of diesel under the Indian credit line was supposed to arrive in Sri Lanka on the 16th of June. However, we took steps to import two shipments before that. So, we are expecting 2 more shipments on the 09th and the 10th of June. The Central Bank has allocated provisions for it.”

Speaking on the distribution of fuel, Minister Wijesekara proposed that fuel distribution should be conducted according to a priority list.