Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has requested the government to give concessions to the people affected by the fuel price hike and the environmental disaster caused by the sinking ship off the Colombo Port.
The Archbishop has said, the government should take meaningful steps to protect the poor masses from further difficulties caused by loss of employment due to the present situation in the country. Emphasizing the need to look into the problems of the fisherfolk in the Western Province, the Archbishop states, the harm caused to the marine life due to the fire-ravaged ship was incalculable.
At a time when the Covid pandemic is rampant and has put the people in serious difficulty, it is not prudent to increase the prices of fuel. However, if a price hike is essential, then the government should consider giving concessions to the people who use fuel on a day to day basis to engage in their employment. The statement said that the fisher folk in the Western province are sensitive to the severity of the issues prevailing in the country. The Archbishop also reminded the authorities that the previous governments in power granted special concessions to the fisherfolk when the fuel prices increased, and hence proposed that the government devise a mechanism to salvage the fisherfolk from the difficult situation they are facing.
