Sri Lanka imposes third fuel price increase in two months – officials

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka has imposed the third fuel price increase in two months as a campaign demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa step down continued, officials had said.

A sharp price increase in petrol and diesel was put into effect on Tuesday, triggering a chain reaction, including a rise in public transport fares.

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara said the price of octane 92 petrol had been increased by 82 rupees (0.23 dollars) per litre bringing the price to 420 rupees.

Meanwhile, diesel had been increased by 111 rupees per litre to 400 rupees.

The move came as Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented economic crisis which had created fuel, gas and medicine shortages.

The government had sought assistance from India, China and Japan and international donor agencies to provide funding for purchases of medicines, fuel and gas.

A group of protesters had been carrying out a campaign outside the president’s office for 45 days demanding that Rajapaksa step down from office, the police said.

The president’s brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was the prime minister of Sri Lanka, stepped down from office on May 9, after a wave of violence sparked off by an attack on anti-government protesters by pro-government supporters.

Mobs attacked ruling party members’ houses and their supporters, burning at least 200 of their houses and destroying their vehicles and property in Sri Lanka.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, an opposition member and veteran politician who had previously held the position five times, had been named prime minister again.

He had launched an economic recovery programme but warned that the public would face more hardships.

(NAN)