1/5 In an interview with @WIONews, former #SriLanka PM @RW_UNP says:
- Rupee likely to hit 400 rupees against $
- state-owned fuel retailer CPC has defaulted twice
- conflict between treasury and @CBSL’s monetary board resulted in policy impasse
2/5 - economic crisis has exploded into a political crisis after violent protest near @GotabayaR’s residence
- budget needs to be changed to a social welfare instead of the current development oriented
- with the mounting protests, political system is under threat
3/5 - tourism won’t pick up because Sri Lanka has been focusing on backpackers like Russians and Ukrainians instead of high end tourists
- govt political leaders have list control over bureaucratic system with public officials are not listening to the government
4/5 - a disorganized civil administration is prevailing
- #India’s $1 bln credit line will long last only up to 5 weeks
- some businesses are likely to close down due to lack of imported raw materials, intermediate goods
- if things get worse, even Sinhalese might come to Tamil Nadu asking for help
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
2/20
When we analyse the reason, it’s quite evident why this is taking place now. In a country which has increasingly seen politicians trying to enslave all the people using people's tax money, the new unprecedented revolution has given some hopes…..
3/20
The revolution by protest is the reactive expressions to the oppressions all Sri Lankans have been subjected to since the independence from British colony in 1948…..
1/4 After an organic people revolution in #SriLanka, except the entire cabinet ministers have given “collective resignation letter” except @GotabayaR & @PresRajapaksa, leaving them to decide the future cause. But people asked for something else.
2/4 This should not be just a change. People should push the @PodujanaParty-led government to find out:
- Who is responsible for financial collapse?
- Who should be accountable for making the people like beggars?
- Who made decisions to keep the rupee rates artificially stable?
3/4 - Who misled the public on economy, dollar exchange rate, monetary policy, and foreign reserves?
- Who made wrong decisions for people to suffer in gas, fuel, milk powder queues
- Who resulted the people and businesses suffering with extended power cuts?
1/8
Focus is now on @GotabayaR, @PresRajapaksa, @RealBRajapaksa, and @RajapaksaNamal, But the real issue is how they were misled by bureaucrats and senior officials to drag this country to this level? For instance, @CBSL on Oct.1 came up with this road map
2/8 - According to these charts, the @CBSL has shown that #SriLanka will see an inflow of over $26 billion inflows (a third of Sri Lanka's GDP) in the 6 months ending on March 31, 2022. The @PodujanaParty government trusted the @CBSL and totally relied on this.
3/8 - Who kept the rupee artificially stable at around 200 since May last year. A flexible exchange rate would have ensured continuous US $ supply from exporters and foreign worker remittances. So who advised to keep the rupee at 200 while the kerb market rate increased to Rs.260
#SriLanka has officially announced to seek @IMFNews help to address current economic & debt crisis. Implications of going for IMF deal:
- Sri Lanka will be forced to bring down its fiscal deficit, government debt, inflation, reforms and improve its reserves, balance of payments.
1. Reducing fiscal deficit:
- Increase tax
- Cut govt expenditure
- Sell state assets
- Stop funding for loss making state owned institutions (SOEs) like CEB, CPC, @flysrilankan
- Privatizing SOEs
- Subsidies on Electricity, fuel, cooking gas, transport unlikely
2. Reducing govt debts
- Curb unnecessary government infrastructure projects
- Invest public funds only in projects with high return on investment (ROI)
- Scrutiny, transparency on all the govt borrowing and spending
#SriLanka@CBSL chief @an_cabraal increases banks’ dollar surrendering to 25% from earlier 10% which could reduce dollar liquidity to importers after failing all his efforts to ensure estimated $11.45 billion inflows including exports, remittances, tourism revenue
It’s only 4 days more for @an_cabraal to prove his latest estimate of $3 billion reserves by this Friday. Sri Lanka’s easiest way is to get already discussed #China’s 10 billion Yuan ($1.5 billion) which sources close to the can only be used for Chinese imports
A $1 billion SWAP deal from Qatar is at the final stage, but some higher level approval still needed, says a source close to the deal
#BREAKING - #Iran, #SriLanka sign tea for oil payment deal. Sri Lanka owes $251 million for National Iranian Oil Company for crude import before US #Sanctions. Now both countries sign MOU to settle it by means of utilizing $251 mln to facilitate the export of Ceylon Tea
Facing both economic crisis and dollar shortage, Sri Lanka's deal with Iran is expected to help ease its pressure on the looming balance-of-payment crisis.
#SriLanka says: "This scheme will not violate any UN or US sanctions since tea has been categorized as a food item under humanitarian grounds while none of the black listed Iranian Banks will be involved in the equation."