All Wednesdays will now be public holidays in Sri Lanka as the country switches to a 4-day working week to conserve its scarce fuel reserves amid a protracted war in the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key peacetime waterway through which about 20 percent of global exports pass, has been effectively closed by Iran in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against it, now in its third week.
Wednesdays off
Government institutions will function only four days a week from Wednesday, March 18, Commissioner General for Basic Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi said. The new measures will also apply to schools and universities and will remain in force indefinitely.
“We also request the private sector to follow suit and declare every Wednesday a holiday from now on,” Chandrakeerthi said.
But essential services, including hospitals, ports and emergency services, will continue to operate as usual, the president said. A four-day working week “would apply to schools, universities and the judiciary”.
The decision was taken at a special meeting convened by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake with the entire state machinery “to discuss strategies to ensure the continuity of public services amid energy disruptions from the Middle East conflict”.
“We have to prepare for the worst but hope for the best,” Dissanayake told senior officials.
The Sri Lankan government also suspended all public ceremonies and asked civil servants to work from home if possible to reduce fuel consumption.
Fuel rationing
Sri Lanka imports all its oil and also buys coal for electricity generation. It buys refined petroleum products from Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, while oil for its Iranian refinery comes from the Middle East.
On Sunday, the country launched a fuel rationing system that limited each motorist to 15 liters of petrol or diesel per week, while public transport was allocated up to 200 litres.
Long queues have been seen at petrol stations since the announcement of the new rationing system.
A Sri Lankan official said the country’s petrol and diesel stocks last almost six weeks. The country warned that any disruption to the supply of fresh ingredients could seriously affect the island.
The government has warned that any escalation of fighting in the Middle East and a protracted war could seriously undermine its efforts to emerge from economic collapse in 2022.
According to the government, talks are underway with both India and Russia to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies.
Sri Lanka to buy coal from India on an emergency basis
Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved an emergency purchase of 300,000 metric tons of coal from India’s Taranjot Resources Pvt Ltd., the cabinet said on Tuesday.
The purchase comes as the island nation rations fuel to extend the life of its energy reserves amid supply constraints due to the war.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion foreign debt in 2022 after the country ran out of foreign exchange. Since then, Colombo has secured $2.9 billion in IMF financial assistance.
