The cooking gas shortage is expected to ease within two days after several LPG shipments arrived, Litro Gas Terminal Lanka (Pvt) Ltd Chairman and CEO Channa Gunawardana said on Monday.

Gunawardana said Litro was distributing around 80,000 gas cylinders a day to meet local demand.

Four LPG vessels carrying a total of 15,600 metric tonnes arrived in the country between 18 October and 1 November, he said. The Francois arrived on 18 October with 3,900 metric tonnes, followed by the Corinthian on 22 October and the Goodwill on 24 October, each with a similar quantity. The Quarantine arrived on 1 November with a further 3,900 metric tonnes.

Litro has said it has the capacity to release about three million domestic gas cylinders during November, including supplies for commercial customers.

Separately, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said the Kandy Magistrate’s Court had fined a trader for refusing to sell Litro cylinders while stocks were available. The court also ordered 28 Litro cylinders, each weighing 12.5 kg, to be forfeited to the State.

The CAA said the outlet, D.D. Gurusinghe Trading on Kotugodella Street in Kandy, is an authorised Litro Gas dealer. CAA officers raided it on 29 October after consumers complained that it was refusing to sell gas. An investigating officer posing as a customer asked for a 12.5 kg cylinder and was told none was available, but a search of the premises found 28 cylinders in stock.

Reaction in Parliament

Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) criticised the government over the shortage, in particular the continued unavailability of Laugfs gas.

“Not everyone can afford PickMe Food or Uber Eats. Many families are struggling to manage three meals a day, and they depend on cooking at home. But there is no gas,” he said.

De Silva said he had been unable to obtain a Laugfs cylinder himself and was managing only because he had access to a Litro one. He also referred to reported US sanctions on a Dubai-based subsidiary of Laugfs over alleged dealings involving Iranian energy products, and said the prices of wheat flour, bread and fuel had risen, adding to pressure on household budgets.

Background

Sri Lanka imports all of its liquefied petroleum gas, so household supplies depend on shipments arriving on schedule and being unloaded and bottled for distribution. Litro and Laugfs are the two main suppliers of domestic cylinders, which is why a problem at either company is quickly felt at shops and homes.

Under Section 16(a) of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, No. 9 of 2003, traders are prohibited from falsely claiming that goods are unavailable when they hold stocks intended for sale. The CAA said inspections and raids would continue across the country to prevent hoarding, misleading consumers and other unfair trading practices.

What it means

For households that use Litro cylinders, the company’s figures point to supplies improving over the coming days. The statements reported so far do not say when Laugfs cylinders will return to shops.

Consumers who believe a shop is hiding stock can report it to the CAA hotline, 1977, during office hours. The CAA said traders who falsely claim to be out of stock risk fines and confiscation of the cylinders.