News
Going home empty-handed
View(s):Story and pix by Akila Jayawardena
Small-scale retailers, pavement traders, lottery sellers, street food sellers, craft workers, and daily wage workers, who are considered self-employed, are staring at the bottom of the barrel now that the economy has collapsed, fuel supply has dried up, electricity is being cut, and the economy (especially agriculture, including paddy and vegetable growing), has rapidly shrunk in the first three months of the year.
Borrowing rates were increased on Thursday to 15.5% by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to make matters worse.
The minimum bus fare is now Rs 40, and there is not a bus on the roads. Less than a month ago, Transport and Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardane was seen cutting a ribbon on a bus service.
More Sri Lankans are now being counted as jobless. The jobless ranks have swelled past 5% of the workforce, and is estimated to be over 500,000 compared with 411,000-plus in 2019.
W A Karunaratne, who has been a trader in the Fort for more than 35 years, said business had never been this bad.
“Business continued even when there was a war, with bomb blasts and fear. Now there are days with zero business. Many self-employed businesses are in need of support and some individuals have given up hope with no relief from the government,” he complained.
“Even if our products are made with extreme difficulty because of the shortage of ingredients, delivering them is a struggle,” said Sahani, a self-employed caterer who supplies for outdoor events.
Another worker, S Moorthy, visits the city offering his knife-sharpening services.
“There were days when I earned about Rs 2,000 a day. Now there are more days when I go home empty-handed. Higher bus fares also came as a blow to us,” he said.
Pettah businessman Ravindra Karunaratne, said if the government or the private sector can ensure continuous supply of fuel, many businesses will survive.
“Behind many self-employed businesses are years of dedication, determination and sacrifice. The fuel crisis have left many helpless,” he said.
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