Govt. says will allocate Rs. 1.9 b a month as relief from high fuel prices

The Government said it will allocate Rs. 1.9 billion per month to provide fuel subsidy to necessary services following the increase in fuel prices.

The Ministry of Finance and Planning has announced that the fuel relief will be granted from Tuesday to the Sri Lanka Transport Board, the Railways, private buses, three wheelers, school transport services and fisheries boat owners to due to the sharp increase in diesel prices that went into effect from Saturday.

Houses without proper power supplies are also entitled to receive the fuel subsidy. The Government will give an advance to the private bus owners until a streamlined mechanism is set in place to provide the subsidy.

The three wheeler drivers meanwhile will get a fuel subsidy of Rs. 10 per litre for three litres of petrol per day. The money will be credited to the bank accounts of three wheeler owners.

The Fisheries Ministry has made arrangements to credit the subsidy to the fishermen’s bank accounts considering the amount of fuel they use daily.

A fuel subsidy will also be given to school service suppliers, based on the distance and the expenditure incurred on fuel daily.

The Government has also taken measures to provide a kerosene subsidy within the next few weeks via Samurdhi officers to households that use kerosene lamps.

The Government has taken these decisions after reaching consensus with all the affected sectors during discussions held with them yesterday.                               (www.colombopage.com)

The Government raised diesel prices by 37 per cent to Rs. 115 per litre, kerosene prices by 49 per cent to Rs. 106 per litre and petrol prices by nine per cent, effective from Sunday.

Following the Government’s decision to raise the fuel prices by midnight Saturday, the private bus operators launched a strike, paralysing the commuter transport in the country, and fishermen along the north western coastal belt took to the streets to protest the steep price hike.