Sri Lanka crisis: Schools, offices remain shut during general strike
Sri Lanka protest
Sri Lanka was hit by a general strike on Thursday with the country grappling with an acute fuel crisis.
Protesters have been calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation as transport services were stopped during the strike.
Schools and offices remained closed as reports say President Rajapaksa is set to meet political party leaders in the country. The general strike was joined by trade unions while pressuring the top government heads to resign.
Also Read:World Bank agrees to provide $600 million in financial assistance to Sri Lanka
Reports claim tea estates including vegetable markets were closed. Sri Lanka's economic woes began as the pandemic hit the country two years ago as foreign remittances dried up. The Lankan government had announced that it would be defaulting on foreign debts amounting to nearly $51 billion.
The country has struggled to pay for fuel imports even as power shortages have ravaged the country with reports claiming hospitals are short of vital medicines.
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Watch: Sri Lanka to sell 'Golden Visas' to revive economy
Earlier this week, Sri Lanka's stock exchange plunged nearly 13 per cent as trading was halted as the S&P index fell seven per cent in opening trade.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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