Sri Lankan PM urges citizens to use gas, fuel sparingly amid worsening economic crisis

COLOMBO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said here on Tuesday the next three weeks would be tough as the nation is facing a severe economic crisis, urging citizens to use fuel and gas sparingly.

Addressing the parliament, Wickremesinghe said that the government's main priority was economic stability and this could be achieved only by implementing intelligently thought-out projects through hard work and dedication.

The prime minister said Sri Lanka spends 500 million U.S. dollars per month on fuel and also requires 40 million U.S. dollars a month to import gas.

"The next three weeks will be a tough time for us in regards to fuel. It is time we all must use fuel and gas carefully...Unessential travel should be limited as much as possible. Therefore, I urge all citizens to refrain from thinking about hoarding fuel and gas during this period."

"After those difficult three weeks, we will try to provide fuel and food without further disruptions. Negotiations are underway with various parties to ensure this happens," the prime minister said.

He further said that Sri Lanka also needs to pay close attention to its foreign relations to rally more international support as the country was becoming marginalized in the world due to its poor foreign policies.

Sri Lanka is in the middle of its worst ever economic crisis due to a foreign exchange shortage which has led to a shortage of essentials such as medicines, fuel and food.