Sri Lanka rolls out fuel rationing system amid ongoing conflict in West Asia
Colombo (PTI): Sri Lanka on Sunday rolled out a fuel rationing system through QR code in view of a possible crisis situation due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Cars are allowed 15 litres per week, while buses are allowed 60 litres per week, the Ministry of Energy said.
The QR rationing is introduced as a measure in view of hoarding by the consumers despite the continuous availability of enough fuel for 4 months, it said.
The rationing comes after the government announced this week that it was hopeful of securing fuel supplies from India and Russia.
Long queues were witnessed outside fuel retailers due to problems with the operation of the QR code, retailers said.
Earlier last week, Sri Lanka raised fuel prices to contain hoarding even as long queues were seen at fuel pumps since the war broke out on February 28.
The government had appealed to people to cut down on non-essential travel to minimise fuel usage.
Rationing using QR code was successful in curbing the problem when the supplies ran dry due to forex shortage during the 2022 economic crisis, making it difficult to pay for the shipments.
An Indian credit line through the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC), the company's Sri Lanka operation, helped diffuse tensions. That year, between March and July, over 25 people died due to exhaustion after spending long hours in fuel queues.
Starting February 28, the US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran and with Iran's retaliation, it has extended to the entire Gulf region. Iranian strikes in Hormuz have affected maritime traffic in the strait, which is crucial for global supply chains for crude and oil.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
