Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe has tweeted his plan to resolve the country's economic crisis. Laying bare the problems, he says the facts are unpleasant and terrifying.
Imminent is the emptying fuel barrels. He says the country only has petrol stocks for a single day and Sri Lanka needs $118 million to pay for shipments due tomorrow and later this month.
The country's electricity is generated through oil and without it, he says power outages will increase to 15 hours a day.
The Government says three ships with crude and furnace oil have been anchored near Sri Lanka for the last four days and it has found the money to fix the crisis, but no word yet on a timeline.
Finally, the money for imports is nigh on non-existent; in November 2019 there was $11.8 billion but today the treasury is struggling to find 1.5 million dollars.
This is Ranil Wickremesinghe's sixth turn in the hot seat as Prime Minister, this time appointed by an embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
For weeks, there have been island-wide protests calling for the Rajapaksa leadership to step aside but the President is refusing to budge.
He's accused of mismanaging the treasury and further adding to the economic crisis.
But he's promised to hand over the financial oversight powers he gave to himself and appoint a coalition government, beginning with Wikremesighe, for the remainder of this term.
