Sri Lanka, June 15 -- The government is considering maintaining current domestic fuel prices without implementing an increase, even after the existing state subsidy concludes, provided that the current downward trend in the global oil market remains steady.

The government is closely monitoring international developments and fuel price fluctuations before deciding on subsidies for local fuel prices, officials said.

The assurance comes amid concerns over the future of the fuel relief programme introduced by the government earlier this year. The programme, which provides a subsidy of Rs. 100 per litre on Auto Diesel and Rs. 20 per litre on Petrol, was initially funded through an allocation of Rs. 57 billion for a three-month period. While...