ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Alliance News): In Sri Lanka, security forces distributed tokens to citizens queuing for petrol as schools closed in Colombo, the country’s capital, which has been battling its worst economic crisis in seven decades due to severe fuel shortages. Government employees have been asked to work from home.
With its foreign exchange reserves at record lows, the peninsular country of 22 million people needs food, medicine and, most importantly, fuel, according to foreign media. Struggling to pay for imports.
WD Shelton, a 67-year-old auto rickshaw driver, said: “I have been standing in line for four days, during which time I did not sleep well and did not eat properly.” It is important to stand in line until you receive.
“We can’t earn, we can’t feed our families,” added WD Shelton, who is ranked 24th at a fuel station in central Colombo.
WD Shelton’s house was only 5 kilometers from the fuel station, but he could not travel to his home due to lack of petrol, so he stopped at the station.
It was not immediately clear to what extent the government could increase its fuel reserves.
Minister for Power and Energy Kanchana Vajsekara had said yesterday that we have reserves of about 9,000 tonnes of diesel and 6,000 tonnes of petrol, but no new shipments are yet to come.
The government has asked employees to work from home until further notice, while schools in and around Colombo have been closed for a week.
The queues for petrol at the fuel station have increased significantly since last week.
“The tragedy is that we don’t know when this crisis will end,” Sheldon said.
Public transport, power generation and medical services will be given priority in fuel distribution, with some portions going to ports and airports.
A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is visiting Sri Lanka to discuss a 3 3 billion bailout package.
Although the Sri Lankan nation expects to reach a loan agreement with the IMF team before the end of the tour on Thursday, it is unlikely that funds will be released immediately after the staff level agreement is reached. ۔
