Hon. Sajith Premadasa

¶ 01 Hon. Minister, you stated that closure of the Strait of Hormuz would not seriously affect us. I must reiterate: shipping traffic had already dropped by about 70% there, and barrel prices have spiked rapidly. Our crude and gas imports are sourced significantly from Middle Eastern suppliers—Oman, Iraq, UAE, Bahrain—and crude for Sapugaskanda reaches us via the Strait of Hormuz. Even refined products we import from India and Singapore rely on crude that transits Hormuz. We need deeper understanding of these supply chains. Over a million of our workers are in these countries. Also, LNG supply chains are affected. Premiums on war risk for tankers, route changes, and higher fuel prices will hit tourism, remittances, and tea exports. We did not get clear answers to several of these. Finally, please plan not on the most optimistic scenario but on a pessimistic scenario so that we are better prepared if things worsen. Do not underestimate the impact of Hormuz.