Sri Lanka’s finance minister has urged all Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) heads of local government bodies to switch off streetlights of their respective areas until the end of March to conserve energy as Sri Lanka’s economic crisis continues to worsen.
Due to the country’s poor foreign exchange shortage, it has been unable to afford imports of fuel, medicine, and food, causing prices to skyrocket. The rationing of fuel has led to long queues at petrol stations and daily power cuts across the island. There are now warnings of disruptions to the country’s water supply.
The General Secretary of the SLPP, Sagara Kariyawasam told reporters that he had received this plea to conserve energy via a letter from the finance minister. The letter urged SLPP to set an example by switching off street lights and requesting to implement other alternatives to conserve electricity that would have a minimum impact on day to day life of the general public.
Despite the country’s dire financial situation, the Rajapaksa administration has refused calls to seek financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund.
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