Ranil Wickremessing, who was recently elected Prime Minister of Шри Ланка, said the country was facing one of the worst economic crises in 70 years and that there was oil for just one more day.

The Prime Minister in a televised address to the citizens indicated that Sri Lanka urgently needs $ 75 million in the next few days to be able to buy basic products. He announced that the Central Bank would print money to pay salaries and other claims in the public sector. Vikremessing confirmed that the state-owned Sri Lanka Airlines could also be privatized.

The country has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, rising energy prices and populist tax cuts. Chronic shortages of foreign exchange and rising inflation have led to shortages of medicines, fuel and other products.

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