{"id":2269,"date":"2021-11-17T12:59:06","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T12:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.southasiantimes.com.au\/?p=2269"},"modified":"2021-11-26T13:27:26","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T13:27:26","slug":"massive-peoples-protest-poor-economy-and-shortages-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southasiantimes.com.au\/?p=2269","title":{"rendered":"Massive peoples protest against poor economy and shortages in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The demonstrations in Colombo were led by the country’s main opposition political party, the United People’s Force, which has blamed the economic crisis on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thousands of people on Tuesday protested in Sri Lanka’s capital against deteriorating economic conditions amid fuel and other shortages.<\/p>\n

The march came as Sri Lankan Parliament debated the national budget for 2022.<\/p>\n

Protesters said Rajapaksa’s policies have led to foreign reserves dwindling, high food prices, and shortages of essentials such as milk powder, cooking gas and fuel.<\/p>\n

Opposition supporters claimed the government’s decision to turn the country toward organic farming and to ban chemical fertilizer imports has threatened to create a food crisis.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves dwindled to just two months worth of imports in August and the local rupee currency depreciated 7.4% against the U.S. dollar in the first eight months of this year, according to the World Bank.<\/p>\n

The government tried price controls and even declared a stage of emergency appointing an ex-military officer in charge of essential services but has so far failed to keep prices under control or stop hoarding.<\/p>\n

Source: AP, Srilankabrief.org, Google<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n