Sri Lanka’s market leader in LPG, Litro Gas Lanka Limited, observed a revival in the food & beverage industry which was suffering for months due to the shortage of essential items as a consequence of the forex crisis.
Commenting on the restaurant industry returning to normalcy, Chairman of Litro Muditha Peiris noted: “We are pleased the small & medium businesses are getting back on their feet. Most businesses that suspended their operations during the gas shortage have resumed their operations. We strive to ensure uninterrupted gas supply in the future to protect the larger players and the SME sector alike.”
He said Litro was pleased to be the first among essential services to eliminate long queues by importing 100,000 MT of LPG with World Bank funding. Litro also singlehandedly managed to cater to the domestic sector with 2.2mn cylinders over a period of 20 days when its direct competitor suspended operations temporarily.
Meanwhile President of the All Ceylon Bakery Owners Association, N K Jayawardena commending Litro said: “Past few months have been tumultuous but Litro stepping up & ensuring uninterrupted LPG supply was commendable. Even at the peak of the crisis Litro assured at least 50% of the total requirement. We are indebted to Litro for coming to our rescue when the competitor/ alternative supplier suspended operations. Now that the shortage is under control, we are grateful to Litro for continuous price reductions enabling us to keep prices of bakery products stable thus affordable to the ordinary citizen.”
Representing the poultry industry, CEO/Director of CIC Feeds and President of Sri Lanka Poultry Forum, Ajith Weerasinghe, commented: “Litro has been our go-to LPG provider ever since gas became the preferred source of energy for heating/incubation purposes. Even during the global pandemic, poultry was one of the few industries that managed to stay afloat thanks to suppliers such as Litro who went the extra mile. While we had to go looking for other essential inputs during the pandemic, and later the shortage of essential items early this year, Litro made sure their products were delivered to our doorstep in a timely manner. As a result, we did not have to suspend our operations which isn’t actually an option given the nature of the business. On behalf of poultry farmers, I would like to thank Litro for understanding our grievances and prioritizing & addressing them accordingly.”
Litro is one of the few profit-making SOEs and among the first to embrace digitalization during the global pandemic. Litro’s Home Delivery App allows convenient placing of orders from anywhere in the world and accepts payments via local currency as well as USD. The doorstep delivery service through Litro’s extensive distributor network is also a much sought-after service.
Litro has a dedicated Customer Care Centre to swiftly resolve customer complaints and queries.