No truth about a food shortage in the country: Govt.

• Dismisses local and foreign media reports about food shortages
• Says temporary shortages were created by certain traders hoarding large quantities of essential commodities to gain super profits in future 

The government yesterday asked people to not panic fearing a food shortage in the country, as there is no truth to reports claiming a scarcity of essential commodities.

According to the Government Information Department, Sri Lanka is not facing any food shortages at present and the reduced access to essential commodities are due to hoarding of stocks by traders.

“Certain local and foreign media are carrying out media stories that there is a food shortage in the country. There is no basis to these reports. Certain Opposition politicians are also repeating this false information,” said Government Information Department Director General Mohan Samaranayake in a statement to the media.

He asserted that there is “no truth at all” in news reports circulating claiming there is a shortage of essential food items, such as rice and sugar in the country. 

Samaranayake said the government has sufficient stocks to meet the required demand and the perceived shortage is due to certain traders hoarding essential commodity goods, mainly paddy rice and sugar in large quantities with the intention of selling them at a higher price to make excessive profits in future. In an effort to address the situation, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa enforced emergency regulations on five essential items earlier this week. 

The move to impose the emergencyregulations under the Public Security Ordinance on the supply of essential goods with immediate effect was to seize hoarded stocks and handover the same to State entities for distribution at reasonable prices. 

“The purpose (of the emergency regulations) was to seize stocks of hidden food items and hand them over to government agencies, including the CWE for distribution at reasonable prices. As a result, attempts to create an artificial food shortage in the country were thus defeated,” the statement highlighted.Meanwhile State Minister of Finance, Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal took to Twitter to point out that the shortage is “artificially created”. “Absolutely no shortage of food in Sri Lanka and organized dissemination of fake news locally and internationally of a food shortage is highly mischievous. 

“Artificial shortage of sugar created by unscrupulous hoarders is already dealt with under the law,” tweeted Cabraal.