The government has taken steps to address shortages of fuel and gas to some extent when compared to the earlier situation which had long queues that stretched for kilometres outside fuel and gas stations. But a well-planned recovery plan still cannot be seen that can address the long-term food security issues.
Sri Lanka is in talks with India for a $500 million credit line to buy fuel and delay payments, said a senior Sri Lankan official as its already struggling economy worsened by the weeks-long lockdown and restrictions due to the Covid-19
Amid rising speculation that the Sri Lankan government was mulling approaching the International Monetary Fund, a senior official has said the international financial institution, will “definitely” have a role to play post-Covid-19 economic recovery and after the authorities formulate the policy framework
Sri Lanka, which fast-tracked the Covid vaccination drive amid its worst-ever virus surge, has recently opened up vaccines to its young population aged between 20 to 29 years, but the plan seems to have hit a roadblock as youngsters are refusing to take vaccines
Faced with an “unbearable” number of daily Covid-19 cases, the Sri Lankan government has extended the ongoing lockdown till October 01, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said
There is no need for “external mechanisms” to solve the issues of rights and accountability, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage said, asserting that solutions to those problems are “available” within the country’s domestic legal system
In a bid to boost foreign inflows, crisis-hit Sri Lanka is banking on high investments, remittances, and tourist arrivals, Cabinet Co-spokesman Minister Ramesh Pathirana said as imports hit a 17-month high in July, with money printing boosting credit and creating forex shortages
Sri Lanka’s Prison Management State Minister Lohan Ratwatte resigned on Wednesday after being accused by opposition MPs of threatening to kill prisoners
Sri Lanka, now into its fourth week of an extended Covid-19 lockdown, is likely to gradually reopen starting next Tuesday (September 21), though health experts warn that the country is not yet out of the woods
Amid reports that economic crisis hit Sri Lanka was planning to borrow from US and Europe-based funds to repay loans of a state-run petroleum utility, a senior minister on Tuesday ruled out a fuel shortage
Sri Lankan authorities are torturing political detainees in jails, Reuters reported, citing a human rights lawyer who has recently drafted a detailed report on torture in Sri Lankan prisons
Sri Lankan Parliament on Monday passed emergency regulations allowing the government to distribute essential food items directly to people at controlled prices
Sri Lanka has extended the ongoing lockdown nationwide till 13 September, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said, as daily infections still remain too high to ease lockdown
Sri Lanka has fully vaccinated over 8.5 million people--roughly 40 percent of its total eligible population--by Wednesday this week, and almost 4 million others received their first dose, the data released by the country’s health authority showed
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajpaksa has issued emergency regulations under Public Security Ordinance and appointed a Major General to oversee food distribution as prices of goods went up and the country’s currency rupee fell in the wake of dysfunctional bond auctions and money printing
With Sri Lanka reluctant to take the International Monetary Fund’s bailout option to tide over its debt repayment crisis, a top US diplomat has advised Colombo to leverage the resources of the global lending agency to build for itself a firmer economic foundation
