SRI LANKAN PREZ WICKREMESINGHE SAYS HIS GOVT WILL FOCUS ON FIXING ECONOMY, ENDING FUEL SHORTAGE
The Hindu - JULY 28, 2022
Since June 27, the government has stopped fuel supplies and restricted essential services.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said his government’s main priorities are to fix the country’s ailing economy and end the severe fuel shortage that has exacerbated after the last shipment under the Indian credit line arrived here in June.
Addressing a gathering at his party headquarters on Wednesday, the newly-elected president said his government was not against peaceful protest and would allow them all the time if the protesters did not break the law.
“I became the president at a most difficult time for the country. We have to set the economy right,” he said.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said his government’s main task was to first reduce the length of fuel queues and then eliminate them completely.
Since June 27, the government has stopped fuel supplies and restricted essential services.
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said on Monday that Sri Lanka will restrict fuel imports for the next 12 months as it is facing a severe shortage of foreign exchange and announcing a rationing system for the distribution of fuel across the crisis-hit island nation.
“QR system was introduced since the daily fuel demand cannot be fulfilled. Due to Forex issues, Fuel imports have to be restricted in the next 12 months,” he said.
