Leader of the Sarvajana Balaya and Member of Parliament Dilith Jayaweera has claimed that Sri Lanka’s rupee is depreciating at a faster pace than during the country’s worst economic crisis.

Speaking at a media briefing on the 15th, Jayaweera argued that the government’s import and export policies have not been guided by an independent economic strategy, but rather influenced by external advice.

He said his party had previously warned that the US dollar would strengthen against the rupee, adding that recent policy decisions had contributed to the current currency trend.

Jayaweera criticized the system in which vehicles are imported using US dollars while taxes are collected in rupees, claiming this creates an imbalance where dollars flow out of the country while rupees are generated domestically.

He further stated that local industries are already under significant pressure and warned that Sri Lanka could be heading toward a deeper economic slowdown if urgent policy changes are not made.

He cautioned that continued inaction could soon impact the general public, leading to wider social and economic consequences across the country.

“We have never seen the rupee fall at this speed,” he said, adding that even during the country’s worst economic period, the depreciation had not been as rapid.