• Food crisis looming, better to grow plants in home yards
• A move aimed at limiting vehicles on roads to save foreign exchange
• Vehicles with 4 on board should be allowed

State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara suggested that vehicles with three or four people on board only should be allowed to ply on roads to economise fuel usage at this crisis time.

Making his remarks to the media, the minister said the country is facing a foreign exchange crisis, even being unable to release containers of imported food items stuck at the port. He said the country should manage its meagre foreign reserves.

“This is not the time to talk about vehicle imports. Instead, we should limit the number of vehicles plying on roads to reduce fuel usage.  We spend US $ 7 billion on fuel imports a year.   The individual usage of vehicles should be discouraged. We should introduce laws banning vehicles on roads only with one person each. Instead, there should be at least three or four persons on board. Then, we can reduce the number of vehicles in operation,” he said.

Asserting that no immediate solution can be found to the foreign exchange crisis, he said it would be advisable for people to grow whatever possible in their home gardens to ensure food security.

“This is a crisis. No government can find a solution to it immediately. If the situation persists, we may not be able to import even milk powder. It is better to grow some plants in pots, at least in your home yards. We should brace for the looming crisis,” he said. 

• We spend US $ 7 billion on fuel imports a year