Fuel and gas queues may occur once again
US$ 5 million have been allocated to bring back Sri Lankans
Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said that if the Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Middle East are forced to return due to a war situation, the recovery of foreign remittances will stop and Sri Lanka will once again go into an economic crisis.
He addressed a media briefing about the rising war in the Middle East region after the assassination of leader of the political wing of the Hamas organisation, Ismail Haniya in Iran. He highlighted the dangerous situation that Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East, particularly those in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, may face due to this situation.
The development of a war in the Middle East region can affect Sri Lanka in many ways. At this time, the Sri Lankan Government is focusing on the safety of Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East. As per the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, an amount of US$ 5 million has been allocated to bring them home in case of an emergency.
The Minister pointed out that due to the war situation in the Middle East, the import of essential fuel and gas to Sri Lanka may be in crisis, and thus Sri Lanka will have to face an energy crisis again. Earlier, when crises arose in the Gulf region, fuel transportation was stopped due to the blockade of sea routes. He mentioned that if that happens, the country may fall again without electricity and fuel. To prevent such a situation, we are making all the necessary arrangements as a responsible Government.
The Minister said that a large number of Sri Lankans are employed in the conflict zone, with more than 12,000 Sri Lankan workers in Israel alone, 15,000 in Jordan, 7,500 in Lebanon and nearly 500 in Egypt. The Minister asked Sri Lankan workers to act with understanding and not to cross borders dangerously. He also said that the President has instructed that all arrangements be made to bring them back to Sri Lanka by sea or air if the need arises.
The Minister also said: “If there is a war situation in the Middle East, Sri Lanka will have no way to get the fuel and gas it needs. When that happens, electricity will be cut, and fuel and gas queues will form again. It is not that easy to handle an international crisis like this.
“President Ranil Wickremesinghe has already taken steps to make the necessary arrangements. Accordingly, a special committee has been appointed to study this crisis and give necessary advice to the Government. Senior Advisor to the President Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President, Finance Secretary, Tiran Alas, Ali Sabri, Kanchana Wijesekera, and I are on that committee.
“We met and discussed for the first time yesterday. We are considering how fuel and gas come from this region, how we can protect our energy supply if these routes are blocked, how we can maintain our supplies if ships and air routes are blocked and how we can protect our export market. We are discussing and preparing the necessary solutions.”
The Minister mentioned that if the Middle Eastern workers have to be recalled, then the supply of foreign remittances in Sri Lanka may collapse again. If the receipt of foreign remittances decreases to some extent, given that the next installment of the International Monetary Fund is only four months away, it may severely impact the economy.
Although we are talking about countries like Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, Sri Lankan workers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other countries may also face the risk of losing their jobs due to this situation. The Government is focusing on bringing them back to their mother country when necessary and providing safe accommodation until then, the Minister said. He also mentioned that funds for the recall have already been allocated.
Because of the unhappy situation faced by migrant workers who returned to the mother country during the COVID-19 period, Minister Nanayakkara said that the Government is ready to ensure that such things do not happen again and that the returning workers are properly accommodated and socialised.
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