COLOMBO, June 28 — Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday instructed officials to import fuel immediately, Xinhua news agency reported.
The President’s Media Division announced that the central bank governor agreed to pay arrears in instalments to some oil companies.
Sri Lanka owes around US$700 million in arrears for previous oil shipments, according to Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera.
Rajapaksa gave the instruction during a meeting with representatives of companies that have been importing and supplying fuel to Sri Lanka.
The president also instructed officials to come up with a plan to manage the fuel supply in the coming months.
Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena said that fuel will only be supplied to vehicles engaged in essential services with effect from midnight Monday until July 10.
— Bernama
