Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said on Sunday that the government will take legal action against private fuel suppliers if they restrict supplies to pressure authorities into raising prices.
He said private suppliers may price fuel according to their costs if they choose to do so. He said certain private fuel stations had been limiting fuel distribution, which had caused inconvenience to consumers.
The minister said the government would not allow private suppliers to raise prices arbitrarily under pressure, or to hold back supplies deliberately in order to push for large increases.
For motorists and businesses that depend on fuel, the minister said protecting consumers and ensuring an uninterrupted supply remained a priority, even as the government aimed to support investors.
He said the government would not yield to unjustified pressure from multinational companies or fuel distributors, and that necessary legal action would follow if supply restrictions continued.
