Gas queues and fuel shortages - EDITORIAL

Energy Minister Gammanpila informs us Sri Lankans, that the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery would be closed for the first time since it was first set up. He added the said refinery would be shut for a period of 50 days. The Minister however reassured Lankan citizens, that all was well. The people, the Minister said, did not need to fear fuel shortages. 

According to the Minister, the closure was simply due to the fact that the refinery had not received stocks of crude oil required to operate it. He added the fuel shortage would be resolved once the foreign exchange crisis was sorted out. 

In what looked like adding fuel to fire the minister explained, the reason for stocks of crude required not being available was due to the simple fact that no tender had been called for, nor funds allocated for the purchase of crude oil stocks. In order to help ordinary citizens understand how the crisis could be overcome, the minister explained the purchase of normal quantities of aviation fuel would be reduced. He pointed out that aviation fuel would be reserved for short distance flights only and added, the resultant saving could then be used to import refined fuel needed for vehicular transport! 
With the country being opened up to tourists, it means a number of long haul flights will necessarily be making fairly regular calls at our 
international airports. 

If the airports are unable to provide sufficient fuel to incoming flights, airlines will not be calling at our airports and incoming tourists will be diverted to other destinations. Such a situation will surely spell the death-knell of tourism in the country, and tourism is among the biggest foreign exchange earners in 
the country.

According to ‘knoema.com’ in 2019, the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP (% of GDP) for Sri Lanka was 12.6 %. The contribution of travel and tourism increased from 6% in 2000 to 12.6 % in 2019 growing at an average annual rate of 4.28%. A drop in tourist numbers also means, the large numbers of persons involved in the tourist trade - from large conglomerates, to tour operators to home industries depending on tourism lose their means of living.

 According to Sri Lanka Tourism development Authority (2018) there were over 400,000 direct and indirect tourism and hospitality employees in the industry. Meaning large numbers stand to lose their livelihood and will soon be adding to the daily growing numbers of ‘new poor’ in the country. 
  We hope the minister’s explanation has not already made international tour operators have second thoughts looking at Lanka as a major tourist destination.

There is an immediate need to calm the nerves of both local and international agencies in the tourist trade.
In an earlier era of shortages, our countrymen and women stood for hours in what were referred to as ’paang polimas’, - queues to buy a simple loaf of bread. The then government told us that this was for our own good - to wean us away from wheat flour. Wheat flour being the base for product from which bread is produced. The then authorities claimed wheat flour had a detrimental effect on our health.
Today, families run hither and thither in search of LP gas which is out of stock. Today’s mandarins tell us there is no shortage of gas in the market! 
O tempora, O mores!

Likewise many essential food items are either out of stock or priced way beyond the means of a population who have lost employment to the Covid-19 virus or have had their wages halved. The rulers have decided employers cannot afford pay full salaries due to a loss of business. Businesses have recovered, but pay cuts remain. While the rich are cushioned, the poor are forced to literally take up the cross and walk. 
The ordinary man and woman are hungry, but they are no fools. They understand problems and would be willing to sacrifice if they are told the truth. Treating them to bare-faced lies insults their intelligence and could push them over the brink.

It is good to take the voters of this country into confidence. After all it is they who voted the government into power and they will support it if they are told the truth of difficult times and reasons behind difficult times ahead.