Sri Lanka president calls for international help as crisis swirls
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday called for the international community to help his country overcome a crisis that has pushed it to the brink of economic collapse, with mounting debt, inflation and social unrest roiling the South Asian nation.
“We urgently require the assistance of our friends in the international community to ensure … our immediate needs,” Rajapaksa said in a prerecorded speech delivered on the first day of Nikkei’s Future of Asia conference, held in Tokyo and online.
Rajapaksa said it is “no secret” that the last few months have been “extremely difficult” for Sri Lanka. “We are presently undergoing a severe economic crisis that has profoundly impacted the lives of all Sri Lankans resulting in social unrest,” he continued.
The remarks come as the country grapples with rapidly dwindling foreign currency reserves, inflation and heavy debt, while its key tourism industry has been decimated by the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.
Fitch Ratings last week downgraded Sri Lanka’s foreign currency sovereign rating to “restricted default.” In April, the nation announced a so-called debt standstill “with the intention of restructuring this external public debt through negotiations with our creditors, while simultaneously approaching the International Monetary Fund for a suitable program,” Rajapaksa said.
The president has faced calls to step down as surging food prices stoke anger on the streets, with the country declaring a state of emergency earlier this month. His older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, resigned as prime minister in early May.
“We have appointed a new prime minister and a cabinet of ministers with representation from multiple political parties,” Rajapaksa said, referring to Ranil Wickramasinghe from the main opposition party. “And we are fostering ongoing discussions in parliament toward forming a national consensus on the way forward.”
“We are also in urgent need of bridging financing to restore confidence in our external sector and stabilize our economy until the debt restructuring process is completed,” said Rajapaksa.
The president stressed that helping Sri Lanka and other vulnerable countries would benefit the whole international community. “Supporting such vulnerable nations through these difficulties is essential for regional as well as global stability.”
Rajapaksa also highlighted food security as a “widespread problem” facing many parts of the world. “The shortages of food items and sharp increases in food prices likely to occur in the months ahead will place considerable strain on many countries,” he warned.
Prices for agricultural commodities have surged in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as those two nations are usually key suppliers of grains such as wheat. That has prompted India, another major wheat producer, to halt exports of the staple grain, including to Sri Lanka.
Rajapaksa also touched on maritime issues, saying his country has “a great interest” in the security of the Indian Ocean region. “Sri Lanka has responsibility over protecting sea routes, maritime resources and combating maritime crime over a significant region of the Indian Ocean,” Rajapaksa said. “And we look forward to partnering with the Asian community as we seek to expand our capacities in this area in future.”
(Nikkei Asia)
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Dear international community please don’t give any help to Sri Lanka as we got a unwanted president and disliked prime minister. These two guys don’t care about the people and only interest is about their political state and their families. None of these guys could not care about the people and don’t know how to solve the current problems other than borrowing money.
You are simply a political pawn this is an economic crisis which has to be solved before any political vandetta can be addressed. If we do not receive international funding you & your family included if living in Sri Lanka, will have to face scarcity in basic needs. Do not act foolishly.
D de Silva,
The ones who act foolishly are fools.
The ones who reduce taxes to enable the Lokku Aiyya gain 2/3rd, are fools.
The ones who ban chemical fertilizer without any idea on how to move forward, are fools.
The ones who print money for local expenditure, are fools.
The ones who hide in bunkers when the nation is demanding resignation, are not only fools but cowards as well.
Dear EP,
You have openly admitted the primary reason for the crisis is your significant policy failures while in high office.
There is a massive island wide protest against you and you are living in a bunker.
You have no rights, whatsoever, to request assistance from other nations. This is not quite correct.
Please RESIGN and ensure the Members of Parliament also resign and DEPART.
Lovely! 27.05/2022 Editorial reveals a bit of truth behind JoJoJoker gama(s). As I said some weeks before, it is pretty easy to recognise the signs when one has seen and studied recent Capitoll Hill riots and Brexit lie spread. Donky voters in SL will soon understand that not only the politicians, but their saviours have taken them for a very big ride and destroy the country perhaps for ever since neither tourists nor foreign businesses now wants to come to a country the drug addicts and criminals mob are running about in the country as they wish.
Lovely! 27.05/2022 Divaina Editorial ……..