Colombo: Newly appointed Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he will provide a full explanation of the financial crisis faced by the island nation on Monday, days after he was appointed as the prime minister in the midst of the violent protests throughout the country. Ranil was appointed prime minister this week with a promise to rejuvenate the crippling Sri Lankan economy. He has invited opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and his party to form a non-partisan government that goes beyond traditional parliamentary politics.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Wickremesinghe said there is a lot to be "done and undone" amid the unprecedented economic crisis in the country, which requires his government to prioritize matters. "We are prioritizing matters, rest assured they shall be addressed as early as possible. We have managed to get things moving in the last 48 hours. I will provide a full explanation of the financial crisis faced by the country tomorrow," he said.
Given the dollar scarcity at banks, Sri Lankan PM said his government is exploring other options of securing the necessary funds to pay for the coming week's fuel requirements. On the LP Gas front, he said, "The government has secured payments for an LP Gas consignment which will begin to unload and distribute as early as possible." Earlier today, the Sri Lankan PM held discussions with the country's representatives of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) amid the ongoing economic crisis in the Island nation. "Medicine, Food and Fertilizer: At the conclusion of our meeting today, The World Bank and ADB have pledged support to assist in procuring essential items," he said in another tweet. Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has been accused of mismanaging the nation's economy, appointed four ministers to the new cabinet after United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as country's prime minister on Thursday. The new appointments are Dinesh Gunawardena as the minister of public administration, GL Peiris as the minister of foreign affairs, Prasanna Ranatunga as the minister of urban development, and Kanchana Wijesekera as the minister of power and energy.
More ministers are expected to be appointed as the president and prime minister are urging all political parties to join hands to form a national government to tackle the ongoing political and economic instability in the country. Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down on Monday, following violent incidents reported between pro-government groups and anti-government protesters.—ANI