The Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa said he could guarantee that there would not be any shortage of fuel in the country.

Rajapaksa made this remark in response to a question raised by the media.

"Therefore, the Minister said that there should not be any unnecessary fear regarding a fuel shortage in the country and urged the people not to resort to panic buying.

The Minister further stated that the closure of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery alone will not lead to a fuel shortage in Sri Lanka.

Long queues were reported near fuel stations yesterday as the Sapugaskanda oil refinery was closed down due to a shortage of crude oil.