'You sold everything to China': Sri Lanka traders lash out at Rajapaksa govt

Colombo, Apr 6: The food vendors in crisis-hit Sri Lanka are upset with the ruling government as they accuse it of selling everything to China while buying goods on credit from other nations.

With the skyrocketed price of fruits and vegetables, the traders are venting out their frustration on the Rajapaksa government. "3 to 4 months back apple was sold at Rs 500 per kg, now it is Rs 1000 per kg. The pear was sold at Rs 700 per kg earlier, now it is sold at Rs 1500 per kg. People don't have money," IANS quotes a fruit vendor named Farukh as saying.

"Sri Lankan government sold everything to China. That is the biggest problem. Sri Lanka has no money as it has sold everything to China. It is buying everything on credit from other countries," he added.

The vendors are dissatisfied with the government as they do not have enough cash left with them. "There is no business. Gotabaya is of no good and he needs to leave," another food vendor, Raja said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa late Tuesday night revoked the state of emergency he had declared on April 1 with immediate effect. In a gazette notification no 2274/10 issued late Tuesday night, the president said he has withdrawn the emergency rule ordinance which gave security forces sweeping powers to curb any disturbance in the country.

Sri Lanka is currently reeling under a severe foreign exchange crisis with falling reserves and the government is unable to foot the bill for essential imports. The Island country is on the verge of bankruptcy. According to the World Bank estimates, 5 lakh people in Sri Lanka have fallen below the poverty line since the pandemic struck, which it described as a "huge setback equivalent to five years' worth of progress".