1. I have instructed the staff of the Prime Minister's office to slash the expenses of our office by 50%. We need to work towards instilling the correct financial discipline to hasten the country's economic recovery.
4. I would like to thank the Leader of the Opposition, @sajithpremadasa for extending their support in response to my request to address the current drug shortage through the 'Husma' initiative.
With the view of easing public expenditure; the new Cabinet Ministers of the Government will forgo ministerial salaries while a limit will be placed on other benefits enjoyed to date.
1. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives. I have no desire to hide the truth and to lie to the public. Although these facts are unpleasant and terrifying, this is the true situation.
• Debt Ceiling: SLR 1950 Billion out of the approved debt ceiling of SLR 3200 Billion by the 2nd week of May
• Foreign Reserves: They were at USD 7.5 Billion in Nov. 2019. However, today it is a challenge for the treasury to find USD 1 Million.
There is a lot to be done and undone. 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 (16)
1/ Fuel: Given the dollar scarcity at banks, we are exploring other options of securing the necessary funds to pay for the coming week's fuel requirements.
2/ LP Gas: The government has secured payments for an LP Gas consignment which will begin to unload and distribute as early as possible.