Colombo: Sri Lanka has now started importing cooking gas through a credit line from India, the state-run gas state-run gas company Litro Gas's head said on Friday. The official also resigned the post, alleging that the gas mafia is involved in heightening the nation's worst economic crisis, PTI reported.
The share Jayasinghe, the Chairman and CEO of Litro Gas, said that he was resigning because of not receiving cooperation from the government, adding that he is under pressure from the gas mafia.
Cooking gas is just one among many shortages Sri Lankans face at the moment; where economic crisis is growing day by day. Commoners are forced to spend hours in long lines to get essentials, including medicines.
They have taken the streets, demonstrating massive anti-government protests across the country. There are major demonstrations going on outside the Rajapaksa secretariat in the capital. On the seventh day of protests on Friday, celebrities also joined demonstrators. "We tell the President, please resign, you have proved a failure," film director Udayakantha Warnasuriya said.
However, President Rajapaksa maintained that the foreign exchange crisis was not his making and the economic downturn was largely pandemic driven by the island nation's tourism revenue and inward remittances dwindling. He kept defending the government.
The country is now experiencing fuel and essentials shortages, long hours, power outages etc.