Sri Lanka Cuts Work Week to 4 Days, Imposes Fuel Rationing Amid Oil Crisis

Sri Lanka is facing a massive fuel shortage because of the war in West Asia. To deal with this, the government has cut the work week to four days.

Colombo: Sri Lanka has cut its work week to four days to deal with a severe fuel shortage caused by the ongoing war in West Asia. The country is taking this drastic step because the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, disrupting oil supplies, reports Channel News Asia.

The conflict is now in its third week, and countries that depend heavily on imported fuel are feeling the heat. Pakistan had also recently brought in similar tough restrictions. Sri Lanka, which is still recovering from its 2022 economic collapse, is trying to cut down on fuel use before the situation gets any worse.

Sri Lanka Crisis

The head of essential services, Prabath Chandrakirthi, said that the new four-day week will apply to schools and universities and will continue indefinitely. He also urged the private sector to follow the same model. From now on, every Wednesday will be a holiday.

This announcement came after an emergency meeting headed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. "We must prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," the President said. However, essential services like hospitals, ports, and emergency operations will continue to work as usual.

The government has also started rationing fuel. Starting March 15, private vehicle owners will be limited to just 15 litres of petrol or diesel per week. To put that in perspective, that's barely enough for a few days of city commuting in India. Public transport operators, like buses, will get a larger quota of up to 200 litres. Officials estimate that the country's current petrol and diesel stocks will only last for about six weeks.

Sri Lanka is completely dependent on imports for its oil needs. It even imports coal to generate electricity. The country gets its refined petroleum products mainly from Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, while its crude oil comes from the Middle East.

To further save fuel, the government has temporarily stopped all public events. It has also asked civil servants to work from home whenever possible.