Govt. can guarantee continuous energy supply for only two months if war continues: President

Colombo, March 12 (Daily Mirror) - Claiming that hardly anyone can predict the future developments if the Middle East war continues for more than two months, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government can guarantee continuous energy supply only for two months if the Middle East tensions went beyond two months.

Speaking at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Chamber of Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) on Tuesday night, he said the government is having discussions with friendly countries to secure alternative channels of fuel supply.

The President said oil prices in the world market tend to fluctuate constantly due to the tension and that even oil companies are reluctant to trade in these uncertain circumstances.

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"I must frankly tell you that some fuel tenders are being cancelled right now. Continuous energy supply can now be assured. However, it is only possible to forecast and guarantee this reliably for a maximum period of two months. If the conflict persists beyond this two-month window, predictions based on current assessments will no longer hold," he said adding that this is an era in which technology and science have given unprecedented power to warfare. As a result, it is impossible to predict the impact of such advanced military operations over the long term.

"Short-term forecasts are possible, but if the conflict continues beyond that period, no one can reliably predict the outcomes. Therefore, assurance can be provided that energy supply will be maintained over the next two months, however, prices may fluctuate. I am neither an owner of an oil well nor a representative of any oil company. These actions are not undertaken for personal profit. However, as a government, there is a responsibility to ensure an uninterrupted supply of energy," he said.

"The 2022 crisis arose not because global supply routes were disrupted or fuel reserves were attacked, but due to a shortage of dollars to procure fuel. Today, however, that problem no longer exists, as we now have foreign reserves of USD 7.2 billion. Any future crisis would only occur as a result of disruptions in supply routes. In anticipation of such risks, discussions are underway with friendly nations to secure alternative channels. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure an uninterrupted supply of energy. Any disruption would cause the significant economic gains we have achieved in a short period to stall. Therefore, the government’s comprehensive plan focuses on guaranteeing continuous energy supply," he said.

The President said everyone must collectively take responsibility and act together to address this challenge adding that it is only through such shared effort that people can overcome it for the benefit of all.