Sri Lanka will more strictly enforce the QR code-based fuel quota system after foreign-exchange spending on fuel imports jumped to US$524 million in May, Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Anura Karunathilake said at a media briefing on Monday (June 1) — the day after the Vesak holiday weekend.
“With this global crisis dragging on continuously, we have a great need to reduce fuel consumption. Through the QR system and quota system, we were able to achieve a considerable reduction, but still this has not reached the level required by the country,” Karunathilake said. The Minister put January fuel imports at US$186 million and February at US$97 million before the figure rose sharply to US$524 million in May. The Vesak weekend traditionally draws heavy traffic for pandal viewing and dansala runs, putting pressure on consumption ahead of Monday’s announcement.
“If immediate steps are not taken to curb consumption and plug the dollar drain, it will not only drive fuel prices higher but also trigger a devastating ripple effect across the entire economy,” he said, warning that the current trajectory of foreign-exchange outflow is “entirely unsustainable” for the economy.
The Minister said the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Ministry of Digital Infrastructure will jointly tighten enforcement of the existing QR mechanism. The directive extends the continuation framework Deputy Finance Minister Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando set out in Parliament on May 19, which had positioned the QR system as a permanent demand-management tool rather than a short-term crisis measure.
The fuel-bill jump comes after the Central Bank’s April external-sector data already flagged a US$886 million monthly fuel import and Sri Lanka’s first 2026 current-account deficit — both pinned on West Asia conflict premiums and rupee depreciation. The CPC has signalled stocks are secured to September with the next vessel due May 31.
Sources: Fuel QR system to be strictly implemented in the future – Govt — Newswire; QR-based fuel quota system to be strictly enforced in future – Minister — Ada Derana; Sri Lanka to tighten fuel quotas as May import bill hits $524mn — EconomyNext.
