Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has said Sri Lanka’s fuel and electricity supply will continue without interruption despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking to the media in Kalutara, Jayatissa — who also serves as Cabinet Spokesperson — acknowledged that fuel prices may see a slight increase because of volatility in global markets, but said the government does not intend to pass the full cost onto consumers.
Any pump-price rise would be cushioned because the Treasury is expected to absorb a significant portion of the impact, he added.
Jayatissa said the government’s broader aim is to bring down the currently elevated fuel prices as soon as the wartime situation in the Middle East stabilises.
The assurance comes as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation prepares to receive its first crude oil shipment since March this Thursday, and as HSBC’s group chief executive said earlier this week that Sri Lanka may have been paying as much as $286 per barrel for some recent shipments because of the Hormuz risk premium.
The fuel supply situation has been a recurring source of political pressure on the government. The previous Energy Minister survived a no-confidence motion on April 10, and ministers across portfolios have been repeatedly deployed to reassure the public that supply lines are intact.
