Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Friday, 20 February 2026 00:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Consumer Affairs Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe assured Parliament yesterday that there is no shortage of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas in the country, attributing current distribution pressures to temporary supply disruptions and panic buying.
Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Minister said LAUGFS Gas had halted supply for several days, prompting consumers to switch to Litro Gas. The resulting surge in demand, he said, created pressure on Litro distribution outlets.
Minister Samarasinghe said Litro’s daily supply has now been increased from 1,200 metric tons to 1,500 metric tons to stabilise availability. He added that existing stocks are sufficient for three days, with two gas shipments scheduled to arrive on Sunday and Tuesday.
A separate LAUGFS Gas shipment is expected on 25 February, the Minister said.
LAUGFS Gas in a statement yesterday assured the public that necessary measures have been taken to ensure continued supply.
“The current supply constraint has arisen due to an operational limitation affecting the use of our 30,000 metric ton LP gas import terminal at Hambantota, which has temporarily impacted our regular import logistics. We are actively coordinating with the relevant Government authorities to expedite the release and operational clearance of the terminal at the earliest possible time.
In the interim, arrangements have been made with our international suppliers to reroute LP gas shipments directly to the Colombo Port in order to meet domestic demand. Stocks have been secured, and distribution mechanisms have been adjusted to ensure continued market supply.
We wish to assure the public that all necessary arrangements are in place to maintain uninterrupted LP gas supplies,” the LAUGFS statement added.
