Litro Gas has raised its daily distribution to between 90,000 and 100,000 cylinders to ease the gas shortage, Cabinet Spokesman Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing, Jayatissa, who is also a Minister, said Litro normally distributes about 74,000 cylinders a day. The new level is an increase of roughly 25 percent.
He said the shortage of Laugfs Gas has affected the market since September. Daily demand for Litro Gas has risen from about 1,100 metric tonnes to 1,600 metric tonnes as a result, the minister said.
A shipment carrying 3,000 metric tonnes of Litro Gas has arrived in Sri Lanka and unloading is under way, Jayatissa said. A second vessel carrying 3,900 metric tonnes is expected to arrive by 31 October.
The minister said the higher distribution is intended to meet market demand and to ease pressure on consumers affected by the supply disruptions.
Background
Litro Gas is the state-owned supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the fuel most households use in cylinders for cooking. Laugfs Gas, a private company, is the other large supplier to the domestic market, so a disruption at one supplier moves customers quickly to the other.
Sri Lanka relies largely on imported LPG, which arrives by ship. Supplies at the retail level therefore depend on the timing of vessels, the unloading of cargoes and the distribution network that carries the gas to dealers.
The figures given by the minister show how sharply the pressure has grown. Demand of 1,600 metric tonnes a day compared with 1,100 metric tonnes before the Laugfs disruption is an increase of about 45 percent.
What it means
Households and small businesses that cook with LPG cylinders are the customers most directly affected. Those who normally buy Laugfs cylinders have been turning to Litro, which accounts for the higher demand the minister described.
The two cargoes mentioned, 3,000 and 3,900 metric tonnes, add up to 6,900 metric tonnes. At the demand level the minister quoted, that is about four days of Litro sales, so further arrivals will matter if the Laugfs disruption continues.
Availability at individual dealers may vary while the new stock is unloaded and sent out. Consumers can check with their usual Litro dealer for current supply.
