# Doctors, bankers protest ‘impossible situation’ as Sri Lanka runs out of fuel Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-06-29 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Sri Lankans March for Fuel Amid Economic Crisis Meta Description: Doctors, bankers, and citizens demand government action to resolve fuel shortage as part of worst economic crisis in decades. URL: https://financedigest.com/doctors-bankers-protest-impossible-situation-as-sri-lanka-runs-out-of-fuelhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-06-29t070531z3lynxmpei5s07yrtroptp4sri-lanka-crisis-fuel-1736815611254-compressed.jpg) By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) -Doctors and bankers were among hundreds of Sri Lankans who marched on Wednesday to demand the government resolve a severe fuel shortage at the heart of the Indian Ocean island’s worst economic crisis in decades or step down. Weeks of street demonstrations against cascading woes such as power cuts and shortages of food and medicine brought a change in government last month after nine people were killed and about 300 injured in protests. Left with just enough fuel for about a week and fresh [shipments at least](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-foxconn-woes-could-hit-at-least-30-of-iphone-nov-shipments-from-china-plant-source.html "Exclusive: Foxconn woes could hit at least 30% of iPhone Nov shipments from China plant – source") two weeks away, the government restricted supplies on Tuesday to essential services, such as trains, buses and the health sector, for two weeks. The [prime minister’s](https://www.financedigest.com/liz-truss-resigns-after-six-weeks-as-uk-prime-minister.html "Liz Truss resigns after six weeks as UK prime minister") office said in a statement a government-ordered petrol shipment would arrive on July 22, while Lanka IOC, a unit of Indian Oil Corporation, is expecting a shipment of petrol and diesel around July 13. The [government is also attempting to secure](https://www.financedigest.com/securing-the-future-of-eu-workers-in-britain-ahead-of-the-government-crackdown.html "Securing The Future Of EU Workers In Britain Ahead Of The Government Crackdown") fuel shipments at an early date. However, until those are confirmed, the details would not be released,” the statement said. Doctors, nurses and [medical staff say](https://www.financedigest.com/the-icu-is-full-medical-staff-on-frontline-of-chinas-covid-fight-say-hospitals-are-overwhelmed.html "‘The ICU is full’: medical staff on frontline of China’s COVID fight say hospitals are ‘overwhelmed’") that despite being designated essential workers, they struggle to find enough fuel to get to work. This is an impossible situation, the [government has to give us a solution,”](https://www.financedigest.com/gecko-governance-launches-compliance-solution-for-ico-market-following-approval-by-isle-of-man-regulator.html "GECKO Governance Launches Compliance Solution For ICO Market Following Approval by Isle of Man Regulator") H.M. Mediwatta, secretary of one of [Sri Lanka’s](https://www.financedigest.com/sri-lanka-top-court-allows-proceedings-against-former-president-rajapaksa-others.html "Sri Lanka top court allows proceedings against former President Rajapaksa, others") largest nursing unions, the All Island Nurses Union, told reporters. The South Asian nation’s most serious economic [crisis since independence from Britain](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-urges-banks-to-offer-mortgage-flexibility-in-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Britain urges banks to offer mortgage flexibility in cost-of-living crisis") in 1948 comes after COVID-19 battered the tourism-reliant economy and slashed remittances from overseas workers. [Rising oil prices](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-rise-on-u-s-drawdown-chinese-fears-weigh.html "Oil prices rise on U.S. drawdown, Chinese fears weigh"), populist tax cuts and a seven-month ban on the import of chemical fertilisers last year that devastated agriculture have compounded the troubles. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said the World Bank had [agreed to restructure](https://www.financedigest.com/sovereign-debtors-creditors-agree-on-steps-to-jumpstart-debt-restructurings.html "Sovereign debtors, creditors agree on steps to jumpstart debt restructurings") 17 projects it is funding in Sri Lanka. Similar [support extended earlier had been used to buy fuel](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-sunak-to-halve-support-that-helps-businesses-pay-fuel-bills-the-times.html "UK’s Sunak to halve support that helps businesses pay fuel bills -The Times") and medicine. More [World Bank](https://www.financedigest.com/post-crash-banking-regulation-is-transforming-the-world-of-corporate-lending-for-the-better.html "Post-crash banking regulation is transforming the world of corporate lending – for the better") assistance will follow after negotiations with the IMF are finalised,” he said on Twitter. An International Monetary Fund team is in Colombo for talks on a bailout [package of as much as $3 billion](https://www.financedigest.com/unicredit-sets-out-8-billion-aid-package-for-italy-clients-hit-by-surging-prices.html "UniCredit sets out billion aid package for Italy clients hit by surging prices"). [Sri Lanka](https://www.financedigest.com/we-are-going-to-die-food-shortages-add-to-sri-lankas-woes.html "‘We are going to die’: Food shortages add to Sri Lanka’s woes") hopes to reach a staff-level agreement by Thursday, but even so, it is unlikely to bring immediate funds. “UNBEARABLE” A march to the president’s [house by a trade](https://www.financedigest.com/commodities-trading-houses-help-keep-russian-oil-flowing.html "Commodities trading houses help keep Russian oil flowing") union of bankers, teachers, and the self-employed was stopped by riot police who had thrown up barricades to guard the area. Things have [become unbearable for the common man,” said an official of a teachers’ union](https://www.financedigest.com/siscoop-collaborates-with-fiserv-to-become-first-in-mexico-to-enable-digital-and-mobile-banking-for-credit-union-members.html "SISCOOP Collaborates with Fiserv to Become First in Mexico to Enable Digital and Mobile Banking for Credit Union Members"). “We want this government to go home.” More than 100 medical staff of the national hospital in Colombo marched to the prime minister’s office calling for the government to ensure fresh [supplies of fuel](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-rise-as-china-eases-covid-curbs-u-s-storm-fuels-supply-worries.html "Oil prices rise as China eases COVID curbs, U.S. storm fuels supply worries") and medicines. Public health inspectors and other health service [workers are also on strike](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-royal-mail-workers-to-strike-in-run-up-to-christmas.html "UK’s Royal Mail workers to strike in run-up to Christmas") on Wednesday and Thursday. The island of 22 [million has nearly run out of useable foreign exchange](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-binance-moved-346-million-for-seized-crypto-exchange-bitzlato-data-show.html "Exclusive-Binance moved 6 million for seized crypto exchange Bitzlato, data show") reserves to import essentials such as food, medicine, petrol and diesel. As the crisis grows, many people have been detained trying to flee the country by boat. The government is also looking abroad for help, to countries from the Middle [East to Russia](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-sharply-scales-back-far-east-war-games-with-china.html "Russia sharply scales back Far East war games with China"). On Tuesday, in a bid to secure fuel, [Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera met Qatar’s minister of state for energy](https://www.financedigest.com/france-strains-to-avert-power-cuts-as-cold-snap-tests-europes-energy-resolve.html "France strains to avert power cuts as cold snap tests Europe’s energy resolve") affairs and the chief executive of Qatar Energy. He is also [seeking a line of credit](https://www.financedigest.com/some-credit-suisse-at1-bondholders-seek-legal-advice-law-firms.html "Some Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders seek legal advice -law firms") from a Qatar development fund. Another Sri Lankan minister will travel to Russia at the weekend in search of [energy deals](https://www.financedigest.com/siemens-energy-signs-7-billion-eur-offshore-power-deal-with-tennet.html "Siemens Energy signs 7-billion-eur offshore power deal with TenneT"). (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Writing by Krishna N. Das and Uditha Jayasinghe; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Nick Macfie) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---