Despite the Government claiming that they have enough funds, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Patali Champika Ranawaka claimed that the Government is actually bankrupt and added that there will not be electricity in the near future. He made this statement while speaking to the media yesterday (17). "The government said that they would be constructing a Rs 600 billion oil refinery when they came to power, but today even the existing oil refinery is closed. The contract for LP gas will be expiring by February, they are not talking about that. Tenders for coal plants have also been halted, thanks to the weather we still have electricity. If the rain stops for 6 weeks, we will not have electricity anymore either," said Ranawaka. He added that the next 6 months are crucial for the country, and at the current state, Sri Lanka is headed towards bankruptcy and the Government is to be blamed. "The reason behind this bankruptcy is the loans that were taken in 2015 at very high interest rates. These cannot be repaid back, and the interest is now piling on," he said. Further, Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena stated that if the SJB were so confident of their capabilities to save the nation, they should step in and do so without creating chaos. "If the opposition is capable of taking the country over, they should step up and assist in reviving the country instead of creating chaos. Thanks to the previous government, the Hambantota port was leased for USD 1.4 billion and the future generations are at a loss because of them. Now, because of their decisions, until the year 2029 we are indebted to the Americans. Today, we are paying the price for their wrong decisions" said Gunawardena. Meanwhile, Minister Namal Rajapaksa stated that even though rumors are being spread of a shortage in fuel, it is not true. "The opposition is happy to see people standing in long queues. This is what they want. They have spread the rumor that Sri Lanka has a shortage of fuel, but the truth is that we have ample fuel," said Rajapaksa. He further mentioned that the rumor about a shortage of fuel has been spread repeatedly over the last couple of months, and people have been lining up in long queues to pump fuel, whereas there has never been a shortage and the supply has always met the demands.