Sri Lanka announces 4-day work week amid fuel shortage fears amid West Asia conflict

Sri Lanka has announced a temporary shift to a fourday working week declaring every Wednesday a public holiday as the government prepares for potential fuel shortages triggered by escalating tensions in the West Asia regionThe decision which comes into effect from March 18 was taken as part of contingency measures to conserve fuel and ensure continuity of essential servicesWednesday declared weekly public holidayCommissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi said that all state institutions will operate only four days a week until further notice The new arrangement will apply to schools universities and the judiciary while essential sectors such as healthcare ports water supply and customs will continue to function as usualThe government has also urged the private sector to adopt similar measures to reduce fuel consumption across the countryDecision taken amid worsening energy concernsThe move follows a highlevel emergency meeting chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake where officials reviewed strategies to manage public services in the face of potential energy disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in West AsiaAuthorities indicated that the situation could worsen if fuel supplies are disrupted further prompting the need for immediate conservation effortsFuel rationing and price hike implementedIn recent days Sri Lanka has already introduced several steps to manage fuel demand Retail fuel prices were increased last week to discourage hoarding and a nationwide rationing system came into effect on SundayUnder the new system private motorists are limited to purchasing up to 15 litres of fuel per week while public transport operators are allocated higher quotas to maintain servicesDespite these measures long queues have been reported at fuel stations reflecting public anxiety over supply shortagesGlobal tensions disrupt supply chainsThe government attributed the crisis to disruptions in global oil supply routes particularly in the Strait of Hormuz a critical maritime corridor for energy shipments Escalating conflict in the region has impacted shipping traffic raising concerns over the availability of fuel importsSri Lanka which relies entirely on imported fuel sources refined petroleum products from countries such as Singapore Malaysia and South Korea while crude oil for its refinery is largely sourced from the Middle EastAdditional austerity measures announcedAlongside the reduced work week the government has announced further austerity steps including suspending public ceremonies and encouraging workfromhome arrangements where possibleOfficials said the countryrsquos current fuel reserves are expected to last around six weeks but warned that any further disruption in supply could significantly impact the economyEconomic recovery at riskSri Lanka is still recovering from its 2022 economic crisis when it defaulted on USD 46 billion in foreign debt after running out of foreign exchange reserves The country has since secured a USD 29 billion bailout package from the International Monetary FundAuthorities cautioned that prolonged instability in global energy markets could derail recovery efforts and place additional strain on the island nationrsquos fragile economyWith inputs from PTI and AFP