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Cash-strapped Sri Lanka appeals to expats to send money-by Dr Harold Gunatillake An interview on SBS Melbourne, Australia, by Amita Arudpragasam details the disastrous current economic situation in Sri Lanka. The President of Sri Lanka Mr Gotabhaya at the recent Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations in Colombo, appealed to the country’s expatriates to send money home as the country is struggling with the worst economic crisis in decades mainly due to depleted foreign reserves. Sri Lankans are facing shortages of milk powder, cooking gas, kerosene, and other essentials. Cash shortages have hindered imports of raw materials for manufacturing and worsened inflation, which surged to 12.1% in December. The pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to an economy that depends heavily on tourism and trade, with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion over the last two years. The economy is estimated to have contracted by 1.5% in July-September 2021, ...