{"id":2400,"date":"2022-07-03T12:19:39","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T12:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theinsiderup.com\/sri-lankan-minister-kanchana-wijesekera\/"},"modified":"2022-07-03T12:19:39","modified_gmt":"2022-07-03T12:19:39","slug":"sri-lankan-minister-kanchana-wijesekera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theinsiderup.com\/sri-lankan-minister-kanchana-wijesekera\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lankan Minister Kanchana Wijesekera"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Most shops were closed Sunday, with the situation expected to worsen on Monday. (File)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Colombo: <\/b><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka has less than a day’s worth of fuel left, the energy minister said Sunday, with public transport grinding to a halt as the country’s economic crisis deepened.<\/p>\n

Petrol and diesel queues snaked through the capital for kilometres, though most pumping stations have been without fuel for days.<\/p>\n

Energy minister Kanchana Wijesekera said petrol reserves in the country were about 4,000 tonnes, just below one day’s worth of consumption.<\/p>\n

“The next petrol shipment is expected between the 22nd and 23rd (of July),” Wijesekera told reporters in Colombo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“We have contacted other suppliers, but we can’t confirm any new supplies before the 22nd.”<\/p>\n

Last week, cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced a two-week halt to all fuel sales except for essential services to save petrol and diesel for emergencies.<\/p>\n

Most shops were closed Sunday, with the situation expected to worsen when banks and offices reopen on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Desperate people were seen trying to flag down the few vehicles on the road hoping for a ride.<\/p>\n

Privately owned buses, which account for two-thirds of the country’s fleet, said they operated a skeleton service on Sunday as they were badly affected by the fuel shortage.<\/p>\n

“We operated about 1,000 busses across the country out of the 20,000 owned by our members,” Private Bus Operators Association chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said.<\/p>\n

“The situation will certainly get worse tomorrow because we have no way of getting diesel.” \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said services would be curtailed further on Monday and saw no immediate solution.<\/p>\n

Three-wheel taxis — a popular last-mile transport — were also off the streets, with most seen in days-long queues to get a ration of six litres of petrol.<\/p>\n

A shortage of foreign currency to finance even the most essential imports has led to the country’s worst economic crisis, with its 22 million people facing severe hardships daily.<\/p>\n

The country has also faced record-high inflation and lengthy power blackouts since late last year.<\/p>\n

All non-essential government institutions and schools have been ordered shut until July 10 to reduce commuting and save energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Local media reported there had been sporadic clashes outside fuel stations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last week, troops opened fire to disperse a mob protesting against the military jumping the queue.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a possible bailout after the country defaulted on its $51 billion external debt in April.<\/p>\n

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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