Colombo: Sri Lanka has decided to set aside a portion of fuel for the burial of Buddhists whose funerals have been disrupted due to the severe financial crisis. Burial in several cemeteries outside the capital, Colombo, was canceled due to the LPG shortage. The proposal was to bury the bodies instead of cremating them.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the LPG stock, which arrived at the port on Tuesday, would be distributed to hotels, hospitals and cemeteries. He said he hoped another gas collection for homes would arrive in two weeks.
Expenditure on posthumous ceremonies has also risen in Sri Lanka, which is facing inflation. The one-day funeral service, which cost Rs 3,80,000 in December, is now more than double the crematorium charges.
The Prime Minister added that an IMF delegation is expected to visit the country on Monday to discuss the financial security package. Meanwhile, government employees have decided to take leave every Friday for the next three months to cultivate for fear of food shortages.