Sri Lanka paralyzed by a very serious fuel crisis which affects transport

A bus driver waits at a petrol pump in Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 2.

AP - Eranga Jayawardena

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Sri Lanka is paralyzed by a very serious fuel crisis, which affects transport and all sectors of the economy.

Behind this shortage of oil, a lack of foreign currency is at the root of the crisis that is hitting the country.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Bangalore

,

This Tuesday, February 2, Sri Lanka's transport network, largely dependent on buses, came to a standstill for lack of fuel.

According to the association of bus owners, only a quarter of its fleet of 20,000 vehicles can still operate.

All over the country, queues are forming in front of gas stations.

Lanka IOC, one of the main distributors, has increased its prices by more than 10%, but the inhabitants have no alternative to survive.

Sri Lanka has been hit hard by the Covid-19 outbreak.

In the absence of tourists, the government can no longer provide itself with foreign currency, and therefore with fuel.

Severe food shortage

“ 

 ”, sums up the Minister of Energy, Udaya Gammanpila.

For several months, the government has banned many imports to control its foreign exchange reserves.

But from August 2021, this policy has in turn led to a severe food shortage.

Sri Lanka now fears a default on its external debt of 30 billion euros and is turning to Beijing to help it deal with it.

►Also read: In the midst of an energy crisis, Sri Lanka suspends the sale of gas after explosions

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

• Sri Lanka