Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called on the government to introduce a special relief package for low- and middle-income households on April 6, citing the cumulative weight of recent gas, fuel and electricity price hikes on family budgets.
In a video statement, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader said “sudden price hikes have placed millions under unbearable pressure” and accused the administration of failing to grasp the hardship facing citizens. “The government’s responsibility is not to burden the people but to help them live,” he said.
Specific demands
Premadasa called for direct price reductions on gas, fuel and electricity, arguing the funding is already available. He pointed to reported Treasury surplus funds and the revenue gains the IMF has acknowledged in its current programme as sources the government could tap without breaching fiscal targets.
He cited relief measures rolled out by Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Egypt as templates Sri Lanka could adapt. Premadasa pledged SJB parliamentary support for any package that “genuinely benefits the people.”
The April squeeze
The statement lands in the middle of a punishing pricing cycle for Sri Lankan households. Litro raised LP gas prices by Rs. 775 per 12.5 kg cylinder on April 5, while LAUGFS lifted its cylinder by Rs. 5,700 the same day. Electricity tariffs rose by up to 25 percent in April, and fuel rationing remains in force.
Restaurant prices in Colombo and Kandy began rising on April 6 following the gas adjustment, and consumers have reported panic buying of fresh milk packs ahead of expected dairy hikes.
The opposition push also coincides with the no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody scheduled for April 10, the first such test under the NPP government. The government has not formally responded to the relief package proposal.
