Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says that expenditure has to be cut in all sectors except education and health. The Prime Minister says that the economic crisis cannot be faced without that.
In an interview with Reuters, the Prime Minister stated that he was ready to present an interim budget within the next six weeks. He says that the interim budget will include proposals to provide relief to the people in the next two years and the implementation of infrastructure projects will have to be suspended.
Wickremasinghe states that inflation will cross 40% in the next few months, pointing out that public protests will also increase in comparison.
He said that he would have to seek the assistance of friendly countries to prevent a food shortage and that he would meet with the Chinese Ambassador next week to discuss obtaining assistance from the Chinese Government.
Pointing out that the government is facing not only a dollar crisis but also a rupee crisis, the Prime Minister says that the government does not receive revenue even in rupees. “As a result, at least a trillion rupees will have to be printed,” he told Reuters.
