Bang! RI's Neighbour Declares Wednesday a National Holiday Due to Critical Fuel Situation

Sri Lanka has designated every Wednesday as a holiday for public institutions to save fuel oil. The island nation is grappling with the possibility of fuel shortages due to the United States (US) and Israel war with Iran. This policy is the latest in a series of conservation measures taken by several Asian countries since the war closed the Strait of Hormuz, which previously transported millions of barrels of oil from the Gulf to the region. Citing Reuters on Thursday (19/3/2026), nearly 90% of all oil and gas flowing through the strait last year was destined for Asia, the world’s largest oil-importing region. In other parts of Asia, authorities have implemented various conservation measures. In Thailand, for example, the government is urging people to replace suits with short-sleeved t-shirts to reduce reliance on air conditioning, while in Myanmar, private vehicles are only allowed to operate on alternate days depending on their licence plate numbers. Bangladesh has advanced Ramadan holidays at universities and implemented nationwide planned power outages to save energy. Sri Lanka’s new four-day workweek will also apply to schools and universities, but will not affect state institutions providing essential services, such as health and immigration authorities, officials said. Drivers are now required to register a National Fuel Card that limits the amount of fuel that people can purchase. This has sparked dissatisfaction among some Sri Lankan citizens who feel that the fuel quota of 15 litres for private cars and five litres for motorcycles is too low.