The authorities mentioned a long-established ban on chatting with reporters now extends to social media posts.
The authorities mentioned a long-established ban on chatting with reporters now extends to social media posts.
Sri Lanka ordered civil servants on Wednesday to not categorical opinions on social media after some officers claimed schoolchildren have been fainting from a scarcity of meals because of the nation’s dire financial disaster.
In a recent order to 1.5 million state workers, the Ministry of Public Administration and Management mentioned a long-established ban on chatting with reporters now extends to social media posts.
“Expressing opinions on social media by a public officer…shall constitute an offence that leads to taking disciplinary action,” the order mentioned.
It adopted claims from provincial well being officers and academics that dozens of scholars have been fainting in faculties due to a scarcity of meals.
Since late 2021, Sri Lanka’s 22 million individuals have been struggling the nation’s worst-ever financial disaster after the federal government ran out of {dollars} to import many necessities.
This triggered enormous shortages and unofficial inflation charges second solely to Zimbabwe, in addition to protests that led to the ouster of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July.
Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella dismissed claims of malnutrition amongst younger youngsters. He accused “politically motivated” public well being staff of exaggerating the scenario.
However, the World Food Programme mentioned in its newest report that six million Sri Lankans — practically a 3rd of the island nation’s inhabitants — are “food insecure and require humanitarian assistance”.
Mr. Rajapaksa’s successor Ranil Wickremesinghe has cracked down on anti-government protesters and banned demonstrations in a lot of the capital.
This month, his authorities struck a conditional settlement with the International Monetary Fund on a $2.9-billion bailout.
The lifeline depends on Colombo reaching a take care of collectors to restructure its exterior debt mountain of round $51 billion.
Its greatest creditor China has up to now not publicly shifted from its supply of issuing extra loans as an alternative of taking a lower on excellent ones.
Source: www.thehindu.com