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Sri Lanka connected Sunday (March 15, 2026) switched to a integer QR code-based strategy to ration substance sales, a determination authorities described arsenic a “precautionary measure” amid persisting uncertainty successful West Asia.
Citing “prevailing geopolitical developments” successful West Asia and their adverse interaction connected planetary proviso chains, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Energy said the country’s existing substance stocks were depleting amid an “abnormal increase” successful demand. “Therefore, it has go indispensable to cautiously negociate the disposable substance reserves successful bid to prolong the country’s economical activities,” it said successful a nationalist announcement announcing the power to a QR codification system.
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Sri Lankans past utilized a QR code-aided strategy successful 2022 erstwhile the island’s system crashed, resulting successful captious shortages and agelong queues for fuel. The determination requires consumers to registry and download a QR codification circumstantial to their conveyance for usage astatine substance stations. The play quota for cars and motorbikes is constricted to 15 litres and 5 litres, respectively. Following the announcement connected Sunday, respective vehicles queued up astatine substance sheds astir Colombo.
Deputy Minister of Industry Chathuranga Abeysinghe told The Hindu thatSri Lanka had capable stocks astatine the infinitesimal and the determination to mean substance proviso to consumers was much of a strategy for “prudent, rational usage”. “With the ongoing uncertainty, this volition assistance america sphere and widen our banal arsenic overmuch arsenic possible,” helium said, adding: “We person confirmation from the Indian Oil Corporation that proviso volition beryllium ensured.”
IOC subsidiary, Lanka IOC, controls astir 20% of Sri Lanka’s retail market, which is dominated by the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. Lanka IOC Managing Director K. Raghu connected Saturday told Colombo-based media that Sri Lanka was “in harmless hands” and that the institution was committed to ensuring uninterrupted substance proviso to Sri Lanka contempt challenges.
The Sri Lankan authorities has sought India’s further enactment to augment supplies, Mr. Abeysinghe said. Colombo is besides successful talks with Moscow to research purchasing lipid from the Russia, a adjacent spouse of the island.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened a bid of meetings connected Sunday to sermon the attraction of indispensable services and substance supplies, and directed officials to survey the enactment of distant moving to prevention connected nationalist substance consumption. “As it is hard to marque close predictions regarding imaginable aboriginal developments, the President emphasised the request for beforehand preparedness to look immoderate imaginable concern that whitethorn arise,” a connection from his bureau said.
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Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry connected Sunday said it was “deeply acrophobic by the rapidly escalating situation” successful West Asia and called for an “immediate de-escalation” of tensions. Sri Lanka “reiterates the request to respect the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, which prohibits the usage of unit against the territorial integrity oregon governmental independency of immoderate state,” the Ministry said successful a statement, without naming immoderate of the actors involved.
