26 November 2023 06:01 pm Views - 861
Parliament Nov. 26 (Daily Mirror)- Lanka Sathosa has taken measures to reduce the prices of nearly 400 items including essential food items with the aim of providing relief to the consumers during the coming festive season, Trade, Commerce and Food Security Minister Nalin Fernando said.
The Minister mentioned this when the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Trade, Commerce and Food Security met in Parliament recently.
He said steps have been taken to import a stock of rice similar to Keeri Samba rice to prevent any shortages during the upcoming festive season.
He also said the Ministry has taken measures to alleviate the artificial shortage created by the main and large-scale paddy mill owners by hiding the stocks of rice without releasing them to the market.
The Minister said that there is a reported shortage of sugar in the local market due to the concealment of sugar stocks, and hence forcing the setting of a maximum retail price for sugar. The importers have suspended the import of sugar creating a short supply of sugar in the market.
Therefore, measures have been taken to remove the maximum retail price imposed on sugar to prevent any risk of shortages of sugar in the market, the Minister added.