Colombo, June 27: Beleaguered Sri Lanka has run out of fuel. A newspaper reported on Monday that the country is left with only 1,100 tones of petrol and 7,500 tones of diesel, which are not sufficient to last even for a day.
The Daily Mirror quoted highly-placed sources from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) trade union as saying that no shipment of fresh stock of fuel was on its way to Sri Lanka.
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera had earlier declared that a fuel vessel was expected in Colombo. He admitted on Sunday that he could not say when fresh shipments can be expected.
Apparently, fuel companies selling oil to Sri Lanka want an an international guarantee for payment and are not ready to depend on a local bank guarantee.
Sources within the CPC said Sri Lanka had failed to make the payments required and provide international bank guarantees.
Sri Lanka has been blacklisted by international companies as it has defaulted on its debts.
The Mirror warned that with no new fuel shipment in sight any time soon, Sri Lanka will come to a standstill this week.
Already, schools in Colombo have been shut for yet another week starting on Monday.
Sri Lanka is battling its worst economic crisis, triggering widespread shortages of essential commodities including food, fuel and medicines.
With UNI Inputs…
