President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared the supply of electricity and the supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel as essential public services.
The Gazette Extraordinary, carrying the President’s proclamation under the Essential Public Services Act of 1979, was issued on Monday night by Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake. Accordingly, all services, work or labour, necessary or required for the supply of electricity and the supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel have been declared as essential public services.
The Gazette came in the wake of the Fuel Distributors’ Association announcing that it would step away from placing orders for fuel from yesterday, in protest against a decision by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to recover the 45 percent discounts awarded to Fuel Distributors.
Following this announcement, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara, however, assured that there would be no disruption to the fuel distribution process.
“I request the public not to panic by misleading news reports and statements,” Minister Wijesekera said on Twitter responding to a possible strike by Petroleum distributors.
Add new comment