While Sri Lanka’s unemployment rate edged up to 5.2 percent in the third quarter of 2021 (the latest available data), it appears that the ongoing cooking gas shortage is providing new job opportunities to people, helping the government to counter increasing joblessness in the economy.

Long queues have been reported island-wide to buy LP Gas, and some people are offering their services to stand in line for a fee on behalf of a customer who want to buy a gas cylinder.

This is particularly happening in urban areas where people don’t have the time and the luxury to stand in queues for hours largely due to their tight work commitments.

The standing in fee varies from Rs.500 to Rs.1, 000 per day (depending on the number of hours), those who have obtained the service said.

In semi urban and village areas, it has been reported that entire families join queues by taking turns, sometimes as early as 2.00 a.m. to secure a gas cylinder.        

LP Gas companies have said that the shortage will be there for at least another couple of weeks.