The Islamic Ministry has announced that this year’s Eid al-Fitr falls on Friday (March 20).

The Islamic Ministry announced this after a ceremony held at the Islamic Centre to confirm the moon for the month of Shawwal.

The ministry said the moon was not visible in any part of the country last night (March 18) and today (March 19) is the 30th day in the fasting month of Ramadan.

As we face this year's Eid al-Fitr, the war in the Middle East is having a severe impact on the global economy.

The prices of oil and some basic food items are rising sharply in the world market.

However, the government has not yet taken adequate measures to minimise the impact.