Health, petroleum and electricity gazetted as essential services

A special gazette notification has been issued declaring the supply of electricity and all related services, the supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel, and health services as essential services.

Acting Presidential Secretary Chandanie Wijayawardhana made the announcement on September 17, on the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The communiqué was published in accordance with the powers vested in the President under Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act No. 61 of 1979.

The announcement comes months after these services were declared essential services in a Gazette Extraordinary published on 17 May 2023.

Previously, multiple announcements, dated 03 August 2022, 03 September 2022, 04 October 2022, 03 January 2023, and 17 February 2023 had been issued by President Wickremesinghe, declaring that these services as essential.