The Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), D.J. Rajakaruna, has requested the public to reduce non-essential travel and use fuel sparingly in order to manage the energy crisis arising from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

“This is not a normal situation; it is a very grave condition,” he warned.

The CPC chairman urged the public to act collectively by reducing non-essential travel, limiting fuel purchases to essential needs, and maintaining the lowest possible level of fuel consumption until the global situation stabilizes.

Speaking to the media today (10), Rajakaruna emphasized that citizens should take all possible measures to minimize fuel usage during this period.

Addressing the recent increase in fuel prices, the CPC chairman stated that the surge had been significantly influenced by panic buying of fuel in the country. He explained that consumers purchasing excessive quantities of fuel over the past few days, driven by fears of a potential shortage, had directly contributed to the significant price increase.

He further noted that if such heavy purchasing had not occurred, it would have been possible to maintain the previous fuel prices at least until the end of this month.

Rajakaruna described the present circumstances as abnormal, noting that global conflicts have disrupted standard pricing patterns in the energy market.

Emphasizing that the current energy crisis is a global challenge, he reiterated his appeal for the public to limit fuel consumption. 

He warned that a failure to act collectively during this period could lead to serious risks in the near future.