On Friday, Ukrainian media reported quoting Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky who said that seven Sri Lankan students have been rescued from “torture chambers..reports Susitha Fernando
Sri Lanka has sought more information from the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian embassy in New Delhi on the news of the rescue of seven Sri Lankan students from Kupyansk Medical College in the Kharkiv region in Ukraine.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said that it has requested the Ukrainian Government to ascertain the veracity of the news item and to provide more information on it as a matter of priority, given the need to ensure the welfare of Sri Lankan nationals in Ukraine.
“The Ministry is in close communication with the Ukrainian Government through the Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara which is concurrently accredited to Ukraine, as well as through the Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi, in order to obtain further information on this matter,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On Friday, Ukrainian media reported quoting Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky who said that seven Sri Lankan students have been rescued from “torture chambers”; where civilians were abused by Russian soldiers in areas of the Kharkiv region in Ukraine.
“In the Kharkiv region, investigative actions are continuing in the areas that were liberated from Russian occupation. All crimes of Ruscists are being recorded, and evidence of their guilt is being collected. Torture chambers where civilians of occupied cities and towns were bullied and premises where people, even foreigners, were kept have been found,” President Zelensky had said.
“In particular, seven citizens of the Republic of Sri Lanka, students of Kupyansk Medical College [were rescued]. Back in March, they had been captured by Russian soldiers and subsequently kept in a basement. Only now, after the liberation of the Kharkiv region, were these people rescued. They are being provided with proper medical care,” quoted as said by Ukrainian President.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry had told local media that it had earlier received reports about an incident where seven Sri Lankan students were missing since March, however it had not received any complaints from any of their parents or other relatives.
Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry stated that as the war broke against Ukraine, it had facilitated the return of over 90 Sri Lankans, including 16 students living in Ukraine, in the period February to June 2022, with the support of the Ukrainian authorities, and in coordination with the Sri Lanka Missions in Ankara and Warsaw.
China’s debt trap diplomacy has become a major cause of Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis due to the failure of the island nation to take better steps to restructure its debts in dialogue with the IMF…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has become a wake-up call for the international community as the country has emerged as a straightforward example of falling prey to China’s debt trap diplomacy as the unprecedented economic and social crisis in the country has shown how the BRI debt trap can totally ruin a country.
Due to the country’s dependence on imports and borrowings for economically unviable infrastructure projects offered by China through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Sri Lanka is going through tough times and many other countries in Asia and Africa are also on the brink of collapse, a report by Europe Asia Foundation said.
For example, Zambia, has numerous BRI projects like the new airport, two modern stadiums and a power station mean that they’ve developed an excessive debt situation.
Through BRI, China eyes to influence around the globe with Chinese standards, norms and characteristics and as a consequence, the dependence of the indebted countries on China gets even greater, Former Minister of Environment and Member of European Parliament, Jo Leinen wrote in a statement for Europe Asia Foundation.
Around 60 poorer countries are unable to stick to their financial commitments and have become excessively indebted to China, read the report.
Moreover, alarm bells have been ringing amongst the international community to work out urgent plans as to how to respond and offer help to debt-ridden countries through certain policies, as per Europe Asia Foundation.
China’s debt trap diplomacy has become a major cause of Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis due to the failure of the island nation to take better steps to restructure its debts in dialogue with the IMF.
Sri Lanka has become a cautionary tale of misgovernment and misfortune as the sweeping impact of the pandemic crashed the vital tourism sector, and then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted global supply chains and accelerated the inflationary spiral that dragged Sri Lanka’s economy into an abyss.
The three lending institutions of China that offer loans in Central Asia are the People’s Bank of China, the Export-Import Bank of China and the China Development Bank.
Beijing has been Sri Lanka’s biggest creditor, accounting for some 10 per cent of the country’s foreign debt.
Notably, Sri Lanka walked into China’s “debt trap” diplomacy and has been facing its worst nightmare till now. (ANI)
Sri Lanka has been facing an unprecedented economic crisis since independence in 1948, leading to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas and fuel across the island nation…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka’s economy contracted 8.4 per cent in the April to June quarter compared with the same period a year ago, according to data from the government statistics department on Thursday, amid concerns over the country’s ongoing financial situation.
“The year on year GDP growth rate for the second quarter of 2022 has been estimated as 8.4 per cent of negative growth rate, against the value reported in the same quarter in the year 2021,” the Department of Census and Statistics of Sri Lanka stated in a communique, on releasing National Accounts Estimates.
Sri Lanka has been facing an unprecedented economic crisis since independence in 1948, leading to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas and fuel across the island nation.
The island nation witnessed its growth contract by 1.6 per cent during the first quarter of 2022.
The Department of Census and Statistics also stated that agriculture shrank by 8.4 per cent in second quarter and industries by 10 per cent, while services shrank by 2.2 per cent, as compared to the same period a year ago.
“In addition, the Gross Domestic Product for Sri Lanka for the second quarter of 2022 at current price has increased up to Rs. 5,374,716 million from Rs. 4,032,171 million which recorded in the same quarter in year 2021 registering 33.3 percent of positive change in the current price GDP,” the data shows.
It added that the three major economic activities of the economy — agriculture, industry and services have contributed their share to the GDP at current prices by 10.2 per cent, 32.0 per cent and 49.4 per cent respectively, while ‘Taxes less subsidies on products’ component has contributed 8.4 per cent of share to the GDP in the second quarter of year 2022.
The country faced the unavailability of basic inputs for production, with an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves, and the country’s failure to meet its international debt obligations.
The economic crisis has particularly impacted food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and access to health services. Food production in the last harvest season was 40 – 50 per cent lower than last year, and the current agricultural season is at risk, with seeds, fertilizers, fuel and credit shortages. (ANI)
Wickremesinghe who said that the China-run southern port in Hambantota would not allowed to be used as a military port but only a commercial port…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday stressed the importance of safeguarding the security of India when safeguarding the security of his country.
“When it comes to the security of Sri Lanka, we are of the view that in looking after the security of Sri Lanka, we must also ensure that nothing adverse happens to the security of India. That we have been committed to, and we will go ahead with it. There will be no movement out of it.
“That’s why we work with India on the Colombo conclave, on the trilateral security arrangements and many other fields, especially outside the military field of piracy, of human trafficking, of drugs. All those are useful ways in which we cooperate with India and the other island states,” he said, addressing the first-ever graduation ceremony of the National Defence College here.
Wickremesinghe who said that the China-run southern port in Hambantota would not allowed to be used as a military port but only a commercial port.
He said that the Indian Ocean region should be opened to all to ensure freedom of navigation for commercial viability.
He noted that Sri Lanka will not participate in military alliances and do not want the problems of the Pacific coming into the Indian Ocean, while urging the countries in the Indian Ocean region to come together to look at how best to maintain stability of the region.
The President also noted that the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean has made Sri Lanka the “punching bag” for Hambantota. He said there are around 17 ports that are operated by the Chinese in the Indian Ocean and all are commercial ports, as he stressed that Hambantota is also a commercial port and not a military port.
Wickremesinghe noted that if there is security significance, it is in the Australian port of Darwin where the Chinese ports are operating side by side with the area the Australian and US forces used for training.
Referring to Sri Lanka’s military in southern part of the country, he said: “We have a divisional headquarters of the army and we have a detachment of the air force. But none of them are involved. They only ensure that this is a commercial port and no less.
“As it is a commercial port, it shows Sri Lanka’s strategic importance that many people sort of come to conclusions which are unwarranted.”
The President also expressed hope that the next agreement Sri Lanka has with China, will not cause such speculation, and it is only about debt reduction for Sri Lanka.
“That is important for commerce to carry on. We have to remember that bulk of the petroleum supply and energy supply to the world goes through the Indian Ocean. A large amount of shipping goes through the Indian Ocean. We don’t want this to be an area of conflict and an area of war.”
He noted that Sri Lanka does not want to see big power rivalry in the Indian Ocean, as such rivalry could get reflected everywhere. He said that Sri Lanka is open to the navies of all countries and there is no discrimination.
“If the navies want to come, we have no problem. They helped in the anti-piracy operations. But we don’t want a level of rivalry which will affect the security and the peace of our area. Whatever it be that we will not join any big power or take sides, we will stay out of it. And that’s why we want to ensure that the big powers and the rivalry don’t need to certainly lead to conflict in the Indian Ocean. That’s one thing we can’t afford.”
The President also said that Sri Lanka should not allow any other country to use it to attack third parties. He also said that a proper plan needs to be set to determine the roles of Sri Lanka’s Army, Navy and Air Force in the future battlefield.
The rehabilitation camp for Tamil refugees at Dindigul also has an overhead water tank with a capacity of 60,000 litres….reports Asian Lite News
The Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who have been living in rehabilitation camps in Dindigul for the past 30 years, can now live in concrete houses.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday inaugurated the Sri Lankan Tamil’s rehabilitation camp through video conferencing from Chennai.
M K Stalin said, “Today’s day started auspiciously with the opening of residences for Sri Lankan Tamils who are relatives of Koppulkodi who have returned to their motherland”.
The rehabilitation camp at Dindigul for Tamil refugees is spread across seven acres of land and has 321 houses. These houses have been constructed at a cost of Rs 17.84 crore. According to Dindigul district administration, each house has a 300 sq ft area with a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a toilet. Each house cost Rs 4.95 lakh. The foundation stone for the project was laid in December 2021 and completed in nine months.
The rehabilitation camp for Tamil refugees at Dindigul also has an overhead water tank with a capacity of 60,000 litres.
Currently, 70 families who are living in the Dindigul camp will be shifted to the new concrete houses. Inmates of camps in Gopalpatti, Adiyanthu, and Thottanuthu will be shifted to the Dindigul rehabilitation camp.
Notably, it was the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who had allocated thatched houses for Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka at Adiyanthu. The Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have reached the state in 1990 after they fled from the island nation during the civil war in that country.
Tamil Nadu minister for cooperation, I. Periyasamy, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, R. Sakkarapani and Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non -Resident Tamils welfare, Gingee S. Masthan handed over the keys of the houses to the benefeciaries.
3,04,269 Lankan Tamils have arrived in Tamil Nadu overall since 1983. 58,822 of them were residing in 108 camps spread throughout 29 districts. To protect their women and children, they fled the war-torn island nation and sought safety in the state.
Wickremesinghe made the statement on Wednesday at a meeting of the Multi-Sector Combined Committee to ensure food security and nutrition…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka must start agricultural modernisation in 2023 to feed its growing population and become a net exporter of food, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
Wickremesinghe made the statement on Wednesday at a meeting of the Multi-Sector Combined Committee to ensure food security and nutrition.
He added that agriculture can earn foreign exchange by enhancing production and competitiveness through the modernisation of agriculture, Xinhua news agency reported.
“By the end of 2023, we should get the modernisation programme going in full swing. We should earn foreign exchange from agriculture. By 2050, our population will be 25 million. This might be a problem if we don’t modernise agriculture,” he said.
Wickremesinghe added that the growing population, not only in Sri Lanka but globally, present many opportunities.
India said its consistent view on peace and reconciliation in the neighbouring island nation has been for a political settlement within the framework of an United Sri Lanka, ensuring justice, peace, equality and dignity for the Tamils living there…reports Asian Lite News
India on Monday issued a statement on promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka and noted with concern the lack of measurable progress by the government on their commitment of political solutions to the Tamil issue.
Speaking at the interactive dialogue on the report of OHCHR at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council, the Indian delegation said: “India has always believed in the responsibility of States for promotion and protection of human rights and constructive international dialogue and cooperation guided by the principles of the UN Charter.”
“In this regard, the Indian delegation notes with concern the lack of measurable progress by the government of Sri Lanka on their commitments of a political solution to the ethnic issue- through full implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, delegation of powers to Provincial Councils and holding of Provincial Council elections at the earliest,” it added.
India said its consistent view on peace and reconciliation in the neighbouring island nation has been for a political settlement within the framework of an United Sri Lanka, ensuring justice, peace, equality and dignity for the Tamils living there.
“The current crisis in Sri Lanka has demonstrated the limitations of debt driven economy and the impact it has on the standard of living. It is in Sri Lanka’s best interests to build capacity of its citizens and work towards their empowerment, for which devolution of power to the grassroots level is a pre-requisite,” the statement read.
“In this connection, operationalization of Provincial Councils through early conduct of elections will enable all citizens of Sri Lanka to achieve their aspirations for a prosperous future,” the statement read further.
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China keeps mum on loans
Sri Lanka has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Funds (IMF) regarding debt restructuring which will start only after all Sri Lankan creditors agree to restructure their existing loans to the island nation. On the other hand, while China keeps mum over the issue, IMF bailout discussions still remain at the staff level of agreement.
All Sri Lankan creditors including China have to agree to restructure their existing loans to the island nation before the IMF starts disbursing a USD 2.9 billion loan, but China’s silence on the issue and IMF bailout discussions still remain at the staff level of agreement, Colombo Gazette reported.
Sri Lanka has agreed to a USD 2.9 billion deal with IMF officials, but cash will not flow to Colombo until significant progress is made on debt restructuring with China, Japan and India mainly.
The IMF staff and the Sri Lankan authorities have reached a staff-level agreement to support Sri Lanka’s economic policies with a 48-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of about USD 2.9 billion.
The new EFF arrangement will support Sri Lanka’s program to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, while safeguarding financial stability, reducing corruption vulnerabilities and unlocking Sri Lanka’s growth potential.
One of the conditions was also to reduce corruption vulnerabilities through improving fiscal transparency and public financial management, introducing a stronger anti-corruption legal framework, and conducting an in-depth governance diagnostic, supported by IMF technical assistance, Colombo Gazette reported.
At a recent press conference with IMF officials in Colombo on September 1, the question of what would happen if China refused to commit to debt restructuring was raised, to which the IMF mission head replied, “If one or more creditors are unwilling to provide these assurances, that would obviously aggravate the problem here in Sri Lanka and undermine repayment capacity.”
China has so far not agreed to debt restructuring which could include haircuts or reductions in interest rates. Instead, China has expressed its willingness to refinance Sri Lanka to repay its past loans without any changes, said Lankan officials.
Beijing said as a traditional friendly neighbour of Sri Lanka and a major shareholder of the International Monetary Fund, China has been always encouraging the IMF and other international financial institutions to continue to play a positive role in supporting Sri Lanka’s response to current difficulties and efforts to ease debt burden and realize sustainable development.
The world’s leading two humanitarian organisations stated that two consecutive seasons of poor harvests led to a nearly 50 per cent drop in production, coupled with reduced imports of food grains..reports SUSITHA FERNANDO
Two United Nations organisations warned on Monday that nearly 30 per cent of Sri Lanka’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity, which is likely worsen if adequate life-saving assistance and livelihood support is not provided.
In its latest report, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) cautioned that an estimated 6.3 million people in the South Asian island nation are facing moderate to severe acute food insecurity, mainly due to poor agricultural production, price spikes, and the ongoing economic crisis.
In a joint statement, the world’s leading two humanitarian organisations stated that two consecutive seasons of poor harvests led to a nearly 50 per cent drop in production, coupled with reduced imports of food grains due to foreign exchange constraints.
Without assistance, the food security situation is expected to deteriorate further, particularly during the October 2022 to February 2023 lean season, driven by poor harvests of staple foods, in particular, paddy rice, and the ongoing economic crisis.
The report noted that immediate food assistance and livelihood programmes – including through existing social assistance mechanisms – are critical to enable households to access nutritious food – particularly moderately and severely acute food insecure ones.
“In order to avert a further deterioration of food security conditions and to support restoration of agricultural production, livelihood assistance targeting smallholder farmers should remain a priority,” FAO Representative in Sri Lanka Vimlendra Sharan said.
“Months into this crippling economic crisis, families are running out of options – they are exhausted. More than 60 percent of families are eating less, and eating cheaper, less nutritious food. This comes at a time when financial constraints have forced the government to scale back on nutrition programmes, such as school meals and fortified food to mothers and undernourished children. WFP’s top priority is to provide immediate food and nutrition assistance to the most at-risk communities to prevent a further deterioration of their nutrition,” WFP Representative and Country Director in Sri Lanka, Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, said.
Production of paddy rice, the main food staple, is forecast at 3 million mt in 2022, the lowest level since the 2017 drought-affected harvest, mostly due to low yields following reduced application of fertilisers, the report finds.
“Production of maize, mostly used as animal feed, is about 40 per cent below the past five-year average, with negative effects on poultry and livestock production. Likewise, production of vegetables, fruits and export-oriented crops, such as tea, rubber, coconut and spices, is well below average, causing a significant decline in households’ income and export revenues.”
Prices of most food items have been on a steady rise since the last quarter of 2021 and reached a new record high in August 2022, with the year-on-year food inflation rate at nearly 94 per cent.
The worst ever macro-economic crisis in Sri Lanka has caused acute shortages and spikes in the prices of essential products, including food, agricultural inputs, fuel and medicine, severely compromising the economic activity, with major disruptions to agricultural production.
Among all Sri Lankan batters, Dhananjaya de Silva looked most comfortable and it seemed he would bail his team out of trouble. But, Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of De Silva with a brilliant reflex catch off his own bowling in the ninth over…reports Asian Lite News
A collective impressive performance by Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Pramod Madushan led Sri Lanka to Asia Cup 2022 title with a clinical 23-win over Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.
This is Sri Lanka’s sixth Asia Cup title — 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 & 2022. After losing their opening game against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and then again Pakistan to clinch the 2022 Asia Cup.
An impressive fighting fifty by Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45) and an attacking knock by Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21) propelled Sri Lanka to a fighting total of 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14) also played vital knocks for Sri Lanka, during their stay at the crease.
Chasing a challenging total, Pakistan were helped by some wayward bowling of Dilshan Madushanka, who gave 12 runs in the first over rife with wides and uncontrolled swing. However, Pakistan couldn’t take advantage of that momentum as Sri Lanka found a hero in Pramod Madushan, who dismissed Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman off consecutive deliveries and helped his team get on top.
Babar, who now does not have a fifty in six T20I games on the trot, first flicked one straight to short fine before Zaman chopped the ball onto his wicket. At 22/2 after 3.3 overs, Pakistan were in a spot of bother, but the in-form Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed batted cautiously to lead the recovery for their team.
Rizwan was picking crucial boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard ticking. On the other hand, Iftikhar, who got a reprieve in between, was also giving the much-needed support as Pakistan were 68/2 after 10 overs.
Though Pakistan were keeping wickets in hand, the required rate was rising with every passing over. Iftikhar hit Hasaranga for a much-needed six and boundary to give impetus to the run-chase. He tried to do the same against Madushan but the ball only got the height not the distance, with the fielder at deep backward square got under it and held it safely, leaving Pakistan at 93-3 after 13.2 overs.
From there on, Pakistan needed to put the foot down on the accelerator but Sri Lanka bowled and fielded with excellence. They dried up the runs, increasing the pressure while upping the required run rate.
All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz couldn’t deliver the big hits, falling for 6 against Karunaratne. It was now up to Rizwan, who was the set batter to guide Pakistan home, as they needed 69 off 28 deliveries.
After bringing up his half-century, Rizwan was outfoxed by Hasaranga as Sri Lanka etched closer to victory with the required run rate almost touching the 16-run mark. Hasaranga then dismissed Asif Ali for a first-ball duck and followed it up with Khushdil Shah for 2.
Eventually, Karunaratne got the final scalp of Haris Rauf (13) as Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, losing by 23 runs. Pramod Madushan (4/34) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/27) were the highest-wicket takers for Sri Lanka while Chamika Karunaratne (2/33) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/25) also chipped in with a crucial wicket.
Earlier, put into bat first, Sri Lanka were off to a terrible start, losing three wickets inside the power play against the quality pace bowling. In the very first over, pacer Naseem Shah clean bowled Mendis, who was late to bring his bat down on a quality length ball. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva then hit a few boundaries to show some fight back.
However, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam brought Haris Rauf into the attack and he put Sri Lanka back in trouble by taking the wickets of Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka.
On a quick delivery at 146 kph, Nissanka played a lofted shot but the ball went only to mid-off, where Babar Azam took a good catch running back. The pacer then dismantled the stumps of Gunathilaka, to leave Sri Lanka in deep trouble at 36/3 after 5.1 overs.
Among all Sri Lankan batters, Dhananjaya de Silva looked most comfortable and it seemed he would bail his team out of trouble. But, Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of De Silva with a brilliant reflex catch off his own bowling in the ninth over.
And in the next over, Shadab Khan breached the defence of Sri Lanka spinner Dasun Shanaka, who went for a wild slog but couldn’t connect. With 58/5 in 8.5 overs, Sri Lanka were in danger of getting bowled but Rajapaksa and Hasaranga showed fighting spirit and did counter-attack.
Both Rajapaksa and Hasaranga looked in control against spinners and hit three boundaries off Shadab Khan. Hasaranga then slammed one boundary and a huge six over backward point to give impetus to the Sri Lankan innings.
From who else but Hasaranga — 36 off 21. He was aggressive against Shadab, Hasnain and now Rauf again, hitting the pacer for two fours before he edged one to the keeper. What this wicket has done though is brought the match alive. Up until the ninth over, it was all Pakistan.
Hasaranga continued his aggressive approach and welcomed Haris Rauf with two boundaries before the pacer dismissed the batter to break a crucial 58-run stand for the sixth wicket, which brought the match alive. After the wicket of Hasaranga, Rajapaksa had the responsibility of batting till the last over and he did that with perfection. He hit boundaries and sixes to complete his half-century in 35 balls.
The left-hander also got able support from Chamika Karunaratne, which was required for a strong finish for Sri Lanka. Both Rajapaksa and Karunaratne remained not out, added 54 runs off only 31 balls and took Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) were the other wicket takers.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 170/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36; Haris Rauf 3/29) beat Pakistan 147 all out in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27) by 23 overs
The printing of the text book is to be completed by January for the 2023 education year starting from next March…;reports Asian Lite News
Battling with ongoing economic crisis with skyrocketing inflation and dollar crunch, Sri Lanka is to get Indian loan assistance to print text books for school children for the year 2023.
Education Minister Susil Premejanatha said that steps have been taken to import raw materials including papers and ink required for textbook printing under Indian credit line.
The printing of the text book is to be completed by January for the 2023 education year starting from next March.
Financially broke with no dollars to import printing material, education was one of the main victims of current economic crisis the country has been going through.
In March last year, the island nation cancelled examinations for millions of students with no papers to print exam papers.
Providing free education, Sri Lanka provides text books and school uniforms for students and around $44 million is estimated for the printing of books for the year 2023.
While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to provide $2.9 billion over four years with conditions to help salvage the country from its economic crisis, India, as a single country has provided the biggest financial support so far extending $4 billion for the year 2022 alone.
