Colombo: As Sri Lanka is reeling under an economic crisis, the inflation in food and fuel prices, in particular, has affected the common man to a great extent.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday declared a state of emergency after a day of violent protests outside his residence.
As police officials and protesters clashed, Sri Lanka authorities imposed a 36-hour curfew to curb more protests over food, fuel and power shortages.
According to the shop owner, essential items such as milk, water and eggs are in short supply. A rack meant for medicines remains empty, showing the deep economic crisis the country finds itself in.
With huge debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, Sri Lanka found itself unable to buy from the outside world. This led to shortages of food, fuel and power.
Sri Lanka’s economic woes are blamed on successive governments not diversifying exports and relying on traditional cash sources like tea, garments and tourism, and on a culture of consuming imported goods.
The Covid-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to Sri Lanka’s economy, with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion in the last two years.
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