LNP – UNP leader doubts whether lock­down will be lif­ted on Oct 1

Former Prime Min­is­ter Ranil Wick­remes­inghe yes­ter­day expressed doubt that quar­ant­ine curfew will be lif­ted on Octo­ber 1 2021 but will be exten­ded fur­ther given the situ­ation per­tain­ing to fuel sup­ply.

Speak­ing dur­ing a panel dis­cus­sion organ­ised by the Inter­na­tional Cham­ber of Com­merce Sri Lanka, Mr. Wick­remes­inghe said the lock­down will not be lif­ted on Oct. 1 due to repor­ted delays in pur­chas­ing diesel. ” Re-open­ing of the coun­try could be delayed till mid-octo­ber because of the delay in pur­chas­ing diesel for domestic use,” he said.

Per­tain­ing to the issue of debt man­age­ment in Sri Lanka, he said the most press­ing con­cern is address­ing the dwind­ling for­eign reserves in the coun­try.

“The regional for­eign exchange reserves are pro­jec­ted to increase over the course of the year, however, Sri Lanka’s for­eign exchange reserves are on a down­ward trend,” he said in this regard.

“The regional for­eign exchange reserves are pro­jec­ted to increase over the course of the year, however, Sri Lanka’s for­eign exchange reserves are on a down­ward trend,” he said in this regard.

He said the eco­nomic recov­ery based on a resur­gence of the tour­ism industry will lead to uncer­tainty, until air­line ticket prices are reduced. “It is unlikely our tour­ist arrivals will recover as Sri Lanka is a budget tour­ism mar­ket where low cost pack­ages with lim­ited facil­it­ies are offered,” he said.