President has instructed the relevant officials to provide security to the filling stations and deploy the Army and Police Special Task Force. The security forces were also ordered to strictly enforce the law against those who unnecessarily store fuel.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to take measures to ensure that the stocks of fuel currently received and to be received within the next few days, will be systematically distributed to fuel stations islandwide.

The President made these remarks at a special discussion on the distribution and import of petrol, diesel, and LP gas at the President’s House in Colombo on June 17.

Special attention was paid to the possibility of entering into long-term fuel supply agreements with the suppliers.

Public transportation will be given priority in fuel distribution. The President said that action should be taken to dispense fuel to private and tourist buses and school vans under the supervision of the police using fuel stations owned by the Sri Lanka Transport Board.

It was decided to continue issuing fuel from the identified filling stations for other essential services and to provide security to the filling stations by the Army and Police Special Task Force. The security forces were also ordered to strictly enforce the law against those who unnecessarily store fuel.

Discussions were also held on the systematic distribution of existing gas stocks and the expeditious ordering of sufficient gas stocks.