Sign In
Learn bits
World Affairs
Pradeep Kumar

01/09/21 11:35 AM IST

Sri Lanka declares food emergency

In news

Sri Lanka  declared a state of emergency over food shortages as private banks ran out of foreign exchange to finance imports.

Details
  • The move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes, while long queues have formed outside stores because of shortages of milk powder, kerosene oil and cooking gas.
  • The government has increased penalties for food hoarding, but the shortages come as the country of 21 million battles a fierce coronavirus wave that is claiming more than 200 lives a day.
  • The economy shrank by a record 3.6 percent in 2020 because of the pandemic and in March last year the government banned imports of vehicles and other items, including edible oils and turmeric, an essential spice in local cooking, in a bid to save foreign exchange.
  • Importers still say they have been unable to source dollars to pay for the food and medicines they are allowed to buy.
Steps taken by Sri- Lankan Government
  • The government has appointed a former army general as commissioner of essential services, who will have the power to seize food stocks held by traders and retailers and regulate their prices.
  • The authorised officers will be able to take steps to provide essential food items at concessionary rate to the public by purchasing stocks of essential food items including paddy, rice and sugar.
  • These items will be provided at government guaranteed prices or based on the customs value on imported goods to prevent market irregularities.
Source: Aljazeera

More Related Current Affairs View All

15 Nov

Government issues guidelines to curb misleading ads by coaching centres

'The central Government issued new guidelines aimed at curbing misleading advertisements by coaching institutes, specifically prohibiting false promises such as "100 per cent selec

Read More

15 Nov

Janjatiya Gaurav Divas

'Every year on November 15th, Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is celebrated to honor the contributions of these communities, especially in India’s freedom struggle.' 5th November

Read More

15 Nov

Supreme Court’s order on mandatory accessibility standards

'A bench of the Supreme Court last week ordered the Union government to frame mandatory rules for ensuring the accessibility of public places and services to persons with disabilit

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps