Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena has said that a ration scheme should be introduced for essential food items in the face of rising commodity prices.
At present the prices of many food items such as turmeric, milk powder, sugar, dhal, rice, coconut oil and potatoes have raised up. The media also reports that raids are being carried out on sugar stores which are said to be secretly stored in various parts of Sri Lanka.
Nearly 600 containers of sugar imported from India have been stranded at the Port of Colombo for about two months now. Of these, 433 containers were imported by nine importers and contained about 12,000 metric tons of sugar, Lankadeepa reports. Meanwhile, another container of sugar imported by another sugar importer without a license has been detained at the Colombo port for two months. Due to this there is a risk of arisen a sugar shortage in the future.
Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena has stated that it has been decided to take over the sugar stock of Lanka Sathosa. Accordingly, this sugar will be sold through Lanka Sathosa in the future.
Minister Bandula Gunawardena has focused on providing goods at below market prices for sugar and essential commodities sold through Lanka Sathosa outlets in the last few months and is to propose a ration scheme to the Cabinet. The proposal will be implemented after cabinet approval and a decision will be taken on the quantity to be weighed and prices below the current market price, the minister said.
Prices for commodities such as sugar and dhal have been rising sharply over the past two weeks. Another proposal that should be submitted to the Cabinet is to provide sugar, dhal and other essentials at a controlled price only to low income groups, the Minister said.
He says fluctuating foreign exchange rates, rising container handling and shipping charges and a shortage of supply relative to demand are contributing to rising prices. The Minister further said that if traders try to increase prices, arrangements have been made with India to import 100,000 metric tons of rice such as Naadu, Kekulu and Ponni Samba.
With this statement of the Minister, it was noted on social media that the country is going back to the 77-78 era. A discourse on the economic era of ’77 is emerging, recalling the laws on food, such as the rice pole and the chilli tax, which were in force at the time, in the time of Mrs. Sirimavo.
Shani