Problems over - Gas ships arrive - 300,000 cylinders to the market

Litro Gas company announces that with the aim of providing quick solutions to the gas shortage that has emerged across the island over the past few days, three hundred thousand domestic gas cylinders have begun to be released to the market in several phases starting today (23). This program is being implemented following the immediate commencement of unloading operations after the vessel 'GOODWILL' carrying 3,900 metric tons of gas arrived at the Colombo Port yesterday.

Accordingly, the company expresses confidence that the current gas shortage will gradually be alleviated within the next few days.

Commenting on this supply process, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development, Mr. Wasantha Samarasinghe, stated that one hundred thousand Litro gas cylinders will be released to the market today alone. Furthermore, 80,000 gas cylinders were released to consumers yesterday. Concurrently, to maintain a continuous supply of gas in the country, two more vessels are scheduled to arrive on the island in the coming days; one carrying 3,900 metric tons of gas will arrive on the 25th, and another carrying 3,700 metric tons will reach the island on the 28th.

The opposition and the public severely criticized in recent days that there is a shortage of both Litro and Laugfs gas in many parts of the island, and that consumers are waiting in queues to buy gas. Litro Gas company emphasizes that new stocks have been ordered as needed to alleviate this situation, and they plan to further increase the quantity of gas cylinders released to the market after March 12th.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Affairs Authority has issued a strong warning to all trade representatives to refrain from unnecessarily hoarding or accumulating gas stocks by taking advantage of the situation created in the market. The Chairman of the Authority, Mr. Hemantha Samarakoon, emphasized that they will investigate traders who accumulate gas stocks with the aim of creating an artificial shortage and will take strict legal action against them in the future.