Lankan President orders fuel distribution

Colombo : Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday instructed officials to accelerate the fuel distribution process and focus on providing fuel for school and public transport. He ordered officials to provide fuel to vehicles that transport school children from all state-run fuel depots, Xinhua news agency reported. The economic crisis has particularly impacted food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and access to health services. Food production in the last harvest season was 40 – 50 per cent lower than last year, and the current agricultural season is at risk, with seeds, fertilizers, fuel and credit shortages. The instruction was given at a meeting to address the fuel crisis in the country, as schools will be reopened after several weeks of closure due to fuel shortages. Fishermen, farmers and those engaged in tourism also need to be provided adequate quantities of fuel, the newly elected President said. Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as President of Sri Lanka on July 14 in Parliament before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.