According to China International TV "Global Finance" column official Weibo report, Sri Lanka 12.6 billion in foreign debt has expired on Wednesday, means Sri Lanka's first sovereign debt default since independence from Britain in 1948. .
Due to the severe economic crisis, Sri Lanka has experienced serious shortages of fuel, food and medicine. There are daily power outages and people have to queue up to buy gasoline and diesel.
[Review: breaks out! The country's prime minister resigned, a nationwide curfew was imposed, and the capital fell into chaos! Foreign debt is 51 billion US dollars, and reserves are less than 50 million.】
"It is a challenge for the Ministry of Finance to find 1 million US dollars."
According to China News Network cited reports from British Sky News and AFP , local time on May 16 At 18:30, Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said in his first speech after taking office that Sri Lanka has run out of gasoline and does not have enough U.S. dollars to pay for imported goods.
He also said that measures will be taken to solve the current supply shortages of fuel, electricity and medical supplies, and the national budget will be adjusted.
Gasoline supply can only last for one day
According to CCTV News, Wickremesinghe said on the evening of May 16 that the Sri Lankan government needs to raise at least US$75 million in the next few days to solve the current "refueling difficulty" problem, The country's current gasoline supply can only last a day.
He also said that ships carrying fuel are expected to arrive one after another in the near future, but the Sri Lankan government does not have enough U.S. dollars to pay for three batches of imported oil , and the ships transporting oil are still waiting for payment outside the port. The government needs to raise dollars on the open market to pay for the fuel.
In terms of electricity, Wickremesinghe said that a quarter of the country's electricity is generated by fuel. However, due to the lack of foreign exchange to purchase oil and fuel supply shortages, the current power outage duration may increase to 15 per day. hour . In terms of gas, the government needs to raise US$20 million in funds to provide the people with the gas they need.
In terms of medical supplies, Wickremesinghe said that the current shortage of medicines and surgical equipment is particularly serious, especially heart disease drugs and rabies vaccines .
On the government budget front, Wickremesinghe said he plans to submit a relief budget to replace the development budget proposed in 2022. He also suggested privatizing SriLankan Airlines .
It is a challenge for the Ministry of Finance to find 1 million US dollars.
According to Global Times report, Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe 16 gave a televised speech to the public on the evening of the 16th, saying that the situation in the country was already very serious. "The next few months will be the most difficult months in the lives of all (Sri Lankan) citizens. The country must make sacrifices and face the challenges of this period." In his speech, Wickramasinghe said , At present, Sri Lanka's economy is extremely unstable, and the budget deficit is expected to be 2.4 trillion rupees this year - a figure equivalent to 13% of GDP.
Not only that, Sri Lanka’s current foreign exchange reserves are also at an extremely low level. "Today, it is a challenge for the Treasury to find $1 million." Wickramasinghe said.
According to the Sri Lankan President’s Media Office, Sri Lanka will implement a nationwide curfew again at 8 pm on the 16th and will lift it at 5 am on the 17th. Later, the Sri Lankan President’s Media Office changed the curfew time, announcing that the curfew would start at 11 pm local time on the 16th and end at 5 am on the 17th.
On the morning of May 12th, during the suspension of the curfew, citizens went out to purchase
will receive 160 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank
According to CCTV news reports, on May 18, local time, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed in parliament that Sri Lanka received US$160 million in funding from the World Bank on the 17th. Wickremesinghe said that currently the funds cannot be used to import fuel, but the possibility of such use will be further explored.He also revealed that Asian Development Bank will also provide funding.
The conflict has resulted in 7 deaths and 231 injuries, and 2 MPs were attacked and killed
Affected by factors such as the COVID-19 epidemic and high fuel prices, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing the most serious economic crisis since independence in 1948, and people continue to take to the streets to protest. , public order fell into chaos, and escalated into bloody conflicts on the 9th. The then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa announced his resignation that day.
According to overseas reports, on the 9th local time, supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa clashed with anti-government protesters in the capital, Colombo.
According to Overseas Network, Sri Lanka's NewsFirst news network reported on the 10th:
The death toll caused by the conflict rose to 7 people, and the number of injured people rose to 231. The dead included 2 parliamentarians.
html On the 19th, a member of Parliament from Sri Lanka's ruling People's Front Party was traveling from Colombo to Nitabwa when he was attacked and killed in a conflict in front of the Prime Minister's Office. In addition, there are reports that Sarath Kumara, a member of Parliament for the Imadua region, died of injuries after being attacked at his apartment.A spokesman for the Sri Lanka National Hospital said that all more than 200 injured people have been sent to the hospital for treatment. In order to prevent the spread of conflicts, the Sri Lankan police first announced the implementation of curfews in many areas of the capital that day, and then announced that the curfews would be extended to the entire country.
Sri Lanka has been facing political instability in recent weeks as a severe economic crisis has affected multiple sectors and caused shortages of basic necessities. Protesters have launched successive protests demanding that the government quickly resolve the economic crisis facing the country.
On the 12th local time, the Sri Lanka Trade Union Coordination Center announced that starting from 7:00 local time on the 12th, the nationwide collective strike will be suspended and all public services will return to normal.
The Chinese Embassy urgently reminds
matters needing attention:
1. All Chinese citizens in Sri Lanka are requested to fill in this statistical form. They should fill it out completely.
2. Please be sure to fill in the relevant information truthfully and accurately. The information you fill in is the prerequisite for the embassy to promptly review and issue health codes for returning personnel to the country, coordinate and solve the problems of personnel returning to the country, send safety warnings, and provide security guarantees. The information collected will only be used by the embassy to provide relevant consular services, so please feel free to fill in the form.
3. In case of emergency, please call the police in time and contact the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka for assistance.
Sri Lanka emergency hotline:
Police (national):
(+94) 118, 119
Police (Colombo):
(+94) 112433333, 112322485
Tourist Police (Colombo):
(+94) 112421070
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Global Consular Protection and service emergency hotline (24 hours):
+86-10-12308 or +86-10-59913991
Consular protection and assistance hotline of the Embassy in Sri Lanka:
(+94)112676033
Source | @CGTNGlobalBusiness, CCTV News, Global Times, China News Network, Overseas Network
Editor of this issue Liu Xueying
