COLOMBO: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by the Finance Minister to oversee the arrangements of providing essential commodities at affordable prices before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Cooperatives, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said the government was planning to increase the supply of goods and bring prices down.
He was speaking to the media after attending a public event at the Medakumbura Estate in Thalawakelle yesterday (20).
He went on to say that the prices of sugar and rice have been brought under control and the deficit has been reduced.
“Not only us but the whole world is facing many crises. We acknowledge that there is a problem with consumer goods in this situation. There has been a shortage of gas, milk powder, sugar, rice, cement and rising prices in the recent past”.
“At present the price of sugar and rice has been brought under control and the deficit has been eliminated. The shortage is less even with regard to gas. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed an inter-ministerial committee under the chairmanship of the Fiance Minister to provide essential commodities at affordable prices before the upcoming Sinhala New Year”.
Alagiyawanna said some businessmen try to pretend to have a deficit in order to make a profit and added the Consumer Affairs Authority will conduct special raids and investigations to control them.(CDN)
