The Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), D.J.A.S. D. S. Rajakaruna, has assured that an uninterrupted fuel supply will be maintained in the country without any disruptions in the coming period.
He made this statement during a special media briefing held today (28) at the Government Information Department. The Chairman noted that spot purchases have already been made, while several additional fuel shipments are scheduled to arrive in the country in the coming days.
According to him, two fuel vessels that have already arrived in Sri Lanka have commenced unloading operations. One vessel that arrived on the 27th carried 30,000 metric tons of 92 octane petrol and 5,000 metric tons of 95 octane petrol.
An IOC vessel carrying 18,000 metric tons of diesel and 18,000 metric tons of 92 octane petrol is expected to arrive tomorrow (29). In addition, another vessel carrying 37,000 metric tons of diesel has already reached the island.
The CPC Chairman further stated that several more fuel shipments are expected throughout the month of April, ensuring an adequate supply of diesel, petrol, and aviation fuel. He also emphasized that these shipments are not originating from conflict-affected regions.
He added that Cabinet approval has been granted to procure fuel shipments from parties beyond registered suppliers, and a structured mechanism has been put in place to facilitate this process.
Meanwhile, a special task force has been established under the Ministry of Power and Energy to address fuel-related issues and approve fuel quotas moving forward.
Rajakaruna also explained that the recent fuel queues were largely due to public concerns over a possible shortage during the initial days, which led to stockpiling. However, he noted that the implementation of the odd-even fuel distribution system helped reduce queues significantly.
