Wednesdays declared holiday for govt employees, schools & unis; private sector urged to do same

The Government has decided to declare Wednesdays of every week as a holiday for government sector employees with effect from March 18, 2026, after taking into consideration the current fuel situation in Sri Lanka.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner General of Essential Services, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, who stated that the decision had been taken in view of the prevailing fuel constraints in the country owing the conflict in the Middle East.

However, he clarified that the holiday will not apply to essential services sectors including Healthcare, Ports, Water Supply and Customs.

In addition to government employees, Wednesdays will also be declared a holiday for all government schools, universities, and courts until further notice, according to the Commissioner General of Essential Services.

The announcement further stated that private sector institutions are also requested to follow the same measures.

Meanwhile, all government events will be suspended until further notice in view of the prevailing fuel situation in the country, the Commissioner General of Essential Services said.

The Commissioner General further stated that, apart from Wednesdays, all heads of government institutions are empowered to call employees of their respective institutions to work on the other four working days of the week based on the necessity of their duties.

He also noted that the essential fuel requirements of the tourism, agriculture, health and plantation sectors will be assessed, and additional fuel quotas will be released accordingly.

The announcement further stated that permission has been granted to conduct university lectures through Zoom technology whenever necessary.

The Commissioner General also stated that although there is no shortage of fuel in the country, certain issues have arisen with the QR code–based fuel quota system. Authorities expect these issues to be resolved in the near future.

He further noted that there is currently sufficient fuel stock in the country for approximately one month and confirmed that four additional fuel ships are scheduled to arrive.

In addition, as decided by the Cabinet of Ministers, four main committees have been appointed to study the current situation and oversee future operations.

Accordingly:

• A committee chaired by the Prime Minister has been appointed to maintain public services.
• An Energy Committee has been appointed under the chairmanship of Minister Vijitha Herath.
• A committee headed by Minister Bimal Rathnayake has been appointed to oversee the distribution and supervision of essential goods.
• A committee chaired by Minister Upali Pannilage has been appointed to provide welfare facilities for various social groups.

He also stated that Ministry Secretaries and other essential officials have been appointed to serve on these committees.