Litro Gas takes a holiday while gas shortage continues

Litro Gas Lanka claimed that internal order processes are taking place smoothly, but external hardships are affecting the market supply.

Despite the assurance that orders were going through and shipments were coming in on time, it was difficult to predict what the next few months might be like because of the volatile state of the country, a company official said.

He said opening LCs was easier now but there were still some challenges because of the forex shortage.

He added that external pressures on the supply were affecting the company's ability to cater to current requirements.

Demand had picked up significantly due to the kerosene shortage, electricity cuts and the fact that competitors' supply had dropped. "Demand generally gets quite high during the festival season."

The company's chairman Theshara Jayasinghe tendered his resignation on April 14, and the company announced a 5-day shut down, drawing much criticism from the general public for doing so during a crisis.

However, company representatives noted that holiday shutdowns during the New Year festivities were a norm in the organisation. "It's just grabbing a lot of attention right now on account of the shortage," the source noted. The company usually pumps fuel into the market in excess before the holidays but this has not been possible due to the current circumstances.

Sri Lankans have been queuing up at gas distributors for months now, as the household staple was becoming more and more elusive amidst the severe dollar shortage that iss hitting local businesses hard.