Austerity measures in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, has ordered drastic cuts in the numbers of cars and telephones used by ministers.

She also imposed a limit of one thousand litres of gasoline a month for each minister, and asked them to reduce their personal staff.

Correspondents say the measures are part of an effort to reduce government spending amid financial constraints caused by the tense economic situation and the continuing war against Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka. The belt-tightening measures were imposed after the government raised electricity charges by twenty-five percent and customs duties by forty percent.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service