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Attempts made by the Sri Lanka Petroleum Private Tanker Owners’ Association (SLPPTOA) to reach the fuel transport formula revision has failed to fetch fruitful results, the SLPPTOA has opted to refrain from distributing fuel from midnight today.

The Association’s Secretary Shantha Silva told the Daily Mirror that they had requested the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Managing Director that they needed to revise the fuel transport formula within two days considering the recent fuel price hike or else they would refrain from continuing their services.

The letter was sent to CPC’s Managing Director on March 14.

The association requested that the transport formula be revised to account for the 60% increase in transportation costs by the CYPETCO fuel price increase.

Accordingly, around 800 bowsers engaged in fuel distribution will be suspended from tonight. According to him, the CYPETCO only has 70 to 80 bowsers in operation.

The sudden increase in fuel by CYPETCO, the prices of lubricants, tyres, tubes, batteries, vehicle service charges, vehicle spare parts, and employee salaries have all shot up. Silva said 90% of the members have decided to disengage from the fuel distribution network.

He lamented that the bowsers were unable to get diesel for fuel distribution.

Rajagiriya, a swanky suburb of Colombo is generally not associated with street protests amongst its fair share of ‘well-to-do’ residents. But the town known more for its high-risers that overlook lakes and marsh and for being a few minutes away from Sri Lanka’s parliament, has seen sustained street protests over the past few days.

The activists in Rajagiriya, like several others in Colombo’s suburbs, are protesting against what they call is a government that has failed the people. Many carried placards and banners calling for resignations and demanding change.

Sri Lanka is currently in the midst of its worst-ever financial crisis, with the Cost-of-Living sky-rocketing and the prices of essential items rising exponentially. A deteriorating currency, acute shortages in fuel, pharmaceuticals, cooking gas, and hours of power cuts have exacerbated an already worsening situation bringing the generally protest-shy urban-dwellers out to the streets.

“Three more years is a long time to wait for another election. I don’t think this country can last another three weeks (at this rate)”, noted an irate protestor in Rajagiriya.

Some held placards, others, candles in a peaceful show of dissent.

“It is so sad. One of the most powerful Presidents in the world, a government with 2/3rds in the parliament (bolstered by) the 20th amendment, and they have failed the nation”, is how a senior citizen taking part in the protest summarized his views.

Similar protests are seen in other parts of Colombo, including Kohuwala and Mount-Lavinia.

Rural Sri Lanka has been on the streets for months for a plethora of reasons. Farmers took to the streets after the government arbitrarily banned the import and distribution of chemical fertilizer on the eve of the planting season. Farmers across the nation demanded fertilizer and protests raged everywhere until finally the gazette issued by the government was reversed. The repercussions of the fertilizer ban are being felt with massive crop loss being reported in many areas.

Vehicular movement came to a complete standstill in the Ambalantota Town during a protest organized by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, against the increasing fuel prices and rising cost of living.

Protesters marched in two groups from Hambantota and Tangalle to Ambalantota.

News 1st correspondents said the Colombo – Kataragama Main Raod was completely obstructed from the Ambalantota Town due to the protest.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will address the nation on Wednesday (16), his media unit said, as the island nation has been witnessing sharp rise in prices in all essential goods and services following the rupee fall amid public protests.

The content of the speech is expected to be the prevailing situation in the country.

Since the central bank allowed flexibility in the exchange rate on March 8, the rupee has fallen nearly 32 percent so far.

With the rupee fall, prices of fuel, wheat flour, transport, rice parcel, container transport, air tickets, and many other essential goods have been raised and people have started grumbling about the latest cost of living.

The president’s speech also comes as opposition parties have called people to join them for protests against the government’s economic mismanagement and policy failures.

The opposition protests blame Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP)-led government for a messed up fertilizer policy and mismanagement of economic policies.

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya has planned a protest in Colombo on Tuesday.

The country has seen shortage of fuel, cooking gas, milk powder, sugar, and wheat flour in the recent past mainly due to severe shortage of US dollars as the island nation’s reserves dwindled over 70 percent in the first 11 month of 2021.

The fuel shortage has resulted in extended power cuts across the country.

Minister of Water Supply Vasudeva Nanayakkara has reportedly handed over his official vehicles and official residence to the Secretary to the Ministry today (14).

When inquired regarding this, the Democratic Left Front (DLF) leader stated that hereafter he will be using a personal vehicle belonging to a family relative.

Mr. Nanayakkara further stated that this decision was taken as it is unethical to obtain vehicles and other facilities from the ministry due to his boycott of Cabinet meetings and his withdrawal from ministry duties.