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May fuel price update: Petrol aligned with formula, diesel still priced above
In May 2025, the prices of both Petrol 92 and Auto Diesel were reduced in Sri Lanka. Petrol 92 dropped by LKR 6 per litre, while Auto Diesel saw a more significant cut of LKR 12 per litre. This marks the fourth consecutive month in which the retail price of Petrol 92 has remained aligned with its formula price. In contrast, the price of Auto Diesel continues to exceed the formula benchmark, despite the market price reduction. The formula price of Petrol 92 was revised down to LKR 290.6 per litre in May—a decrease of LKR 6.3 from April. The market price was just LKR 2.4 lower than the formula price, placing it within a 2% variation. This narrow margin confirms that petrol prices remain effectively aligned with the formula. Auto Diesel, however, tells a different story. Even after the LKR 12 price cut in May, its market price is still LKR 13.6 higher than the formula price. This follows an already significant disparity in April, when the market price exceeded the formula price by LKR 17.2. Moreover, falling global fuel prices further pushed the diesel formula price down by LKR 8.4 in May, widening the gap between the market and formula prices despite the local adjustment. For further details, including taxes per litre and a comparison of Sri Lanka’s fuel prices with regional countries, visit the Fuel Price Tracker. *Note: A 2% variation of the market price from the formula price is still considered consistent with the formula. This variation accounts for fluctuations in the actual purchase price of each fuel order, which result from varying supplier margins relative to the global market benchmark price.
Featured Insight
May fuel price update: Petrol aligned with formula, diesel still priced above
In May 2025, the prices of both Petrol 92 and Auto Diesel were reduced in Sri Lanka. Petrol 92 dropped by LKR 6 per litre, while Auto Diesel saw a more significant cut of LKR 12 per litre. This marks the fourth consecutive month in which the retail price of Petrol 92 has remained aligned with its formula price. In contrast, the price of Auto Diesel continues to exceed the formula benchmark, despite the market price reduction. The formula price of Petrol 92 was revised down to LKR 290.6 per litre in May—a decrease of LKR 6.3 from April. The market price was just LKR 2.4 lower than the formula price, placing it within a 2% variation. This narrow margin confirms that petrol prices remain effectively aligned with the formula. Auto Diesel, however, tells a different story. Even after the LKR 12 price cut in May, its market price is still LKR 13.6 higher than the formula price. This follows an already significant disparity in April, when the market price exceeded the formula price by LKR 17.2. Moreover, falling global fuel prices further pushed the diesel formula price down by LKR 8.4 in May, widening the gap between the market and formula prices despite the local adjustment. For further details, including taxes per litre and a comparison of Sri Lanka’s fuel prices with regional countries, visit the Fuel Price Tracker. *Note: A 2% variation of the market price from the formula price is still considered consistent with the formula. This variation accounts for fluctuations in the actual purchase price of each fuel order, which result from varying supplier margins relative to the global market benchmark price.
Featured Insight
May fuel price update: Petrol aligned with formula, diesel still priced above
In May 2025, the prices of both Petrol 92 and Auto Diesel were reduced in Sri Lanka. Petrol 92 dropped by LKR 6 per litre, while Auto Diesel saw a more significant cut of LKR 12 per litre. This marks the fourth consecutive month in which the retail price of Petrol 92 has remained aligned with its formula price. In contrast, the price of Auto Diesel continues to exceed the formula benchmark, despite the market price reduction. The formula price of Petrol 92 was revised down to LKR 290.6 per litre in May—a decrease of LKR 6.3 from April. The market price was just LKR 2.4 lower than the formula price, placing it within a 2% variation. This narrow margin confirms that petrol prices remain effectively aligned with the formula. Auto Diesel, however, tells a different story. Even after the LKR 12 price cut in May, its market price is still LKR 13.6 higher than the formula price. This follows an already significant disparity in April, when the market price exceeded the formula price by LKR 17.2. Moreover, falling global fuel prices further pushed the diesel formula price down by LKR 8.4 in May, widening the gap between the market and formula prices despite the local adjustment. For further details, including taxes per litre and a comparison of Sri Lanka’s fuel prices with regional countries, visit the Fuel Price Tracker. *Note: A 2% variation of the market price from the formula price is still considered consistent with the formula. This variation accounts for fluctuations in the actual purchase price of each fuel order, which result from varying supplier margins relative to the global market benchmark price.
Featured Insight
May fuel price update: Petrol aligned with formula, diesel still priced above
In May 2025, the prices of both Petrol 92 and Auto Diesel were reduced in Sri Lanka. Petrol 92 dropped by LKR 6 per litre, while Auto Diesel saw a more significant cut of LKR 12 per litre. This marks the fourth consecutive month in which the retail price of Petrol 92 has remained aligned with its formula price. In contrast, the price of Auto Diesel continues to exceed the formula benchmark, despite the market price reduction. The formula price of Petrol 92 was revised down to LKR 290.6 per litre in May—a decrease of LKR 6.3 from April. The market price was just LKR 2.4 lower than the formula price, placing it within a 2% variation. This narrow margin confirms that petrol prices remain effectively aligned with the formula. Auto Diesel, however, tells a different story. Even after the LKR 12 price cut in May, its market price is still LKR 13.6 higher than the formula price. This follows an already significant disparity in April, when the market price exceeded the formula price by LKR 17.2. Moreover, falling global fuel prices further pushed the diesel formula price down by LKR 8.4 in May, widening the gap between the market and formula prices despite the local adjustment. For further details, including taxes per litre and a comparison of Sri Lanka’s fuel prices with regional countries, visit the Fuel Price Tracker. *Note: A 2% variation of the market price from the formula price is still considered consistent with the formula. This variation accounts for fluctuations in the actual purchase price of each fuel order, which result from varying supplier margins relative to the global market benchmark price.
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Insights and analysis of government revenue.
How Sri Lanka Spent, Earned, and Borrowed in 2024
The recently released CBSL Economic review shows that in 2024, government expenditure totalled LKR 6,131 billion. Nearly half—LKR 2,690 billion, or 44 percent—went on interest payments for existing debt. Day-to-day costs consumed...
From The PF Wire
Source:
The Morning
SL to implement imputed rental income tax in 2025
Sri Lanka will implement an Imputed Rental Income Tax in Q2 2025, targeting owners of multiple unoccupied homes to increase state revenue by 0.2% of GDP in 2025 and 0.4% in 2026.
Read More
Source:
The Morning
SCL tax revenue lost to Govt. as importers enjoy h...
The Sri Lankan government's tax revenue is experiencing a continual decline due to the inadequacy of adjusting the Special Commodity Levy (SCL) in proportion to the US dollar (USD), leading to excessive profits for traders. This has resu...
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Source:
EconomyNext
Sri Lanka 2021 imports surge to 20.6bn amid contro...
Sri Lanka’s imports surged to 2.2 billion US dollars in December 2022 from around 1.6 to 1.7 billion US dollars in earlier months, while full year imports rose to 20.6 billion dollars, higher than the 19.9 billion US dollars in the pre...
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Insight on Revenue
The budget deficit has increased in 2019...
The recently released figures for 2019 show that government revenue ha...
Consistent revenue shortfalls lead to mo...
The deviation in government revenue from...
Changes in Special Commodity Levy (SCL)...
On 22 May 2020, Sri Lanka made changes to...
Cigarette Taxes: The cost of failure
The Government proposed a policy to syste...
Cigarette Taxation: 20 Billion Extra Rev...
The Government could raise an extra Rs. 2...
Sri Lanka’s Fiscal Outlook 2020
The International Monterey Fund estimates...
Tax Revenue Categories
How could COVID-19 affect government reve...
Overestimations in Revenue Expectations
Governments have consistently overestimated revenue and thes...
Cigarette Tax Indexation: Getting it Rig...
The indexation method introduced in 2019...
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Featured
Will the Increase in Cigarette Taxes Meet Budgeted...
On the 1st of Jan 2023, the government increased excises taxes on cigarettes by 20% as follows: Size Old Excise Tax per Cigarette New Excise Tax per Cigarette...
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Will the budget's veil of secrecy be lifted in 202...
The lack of transparency on the implementation progress of proposals in budget speeches has increased sharply in 2022 and 2023, according to a systematic evaluation conducted by Verité Research.
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An Overview of IMF Extended Fund Facility
This article was compiled by Professor Udara Peiris and Raj Prabu Rajakulendran. Udara Peiris joined Oberlin in the fall of 2022. He was previously a tenur...
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