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| Saturday, 17 April 2004 |
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Govt to reduce Urea fertiliser prices by Uditha Kumarasinghe The Government has decided to reduce the price of 50Kg bag of Urea fertilizer by approximately Rs.200 with immediate effect, Government sources told the Daily News yesterday. This decision has been taken at a discussion between Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Finance Ministry officials on April 14, the sources said. After reaching a final settlement, Minister Amunugama has instructed Ministry officials to formulate an action plan to immediately reduce the Urea fertilizer prices. This is a fulfilment of a key pledge given to the farmer community by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) during its election campaign to immediately bring down the Urea fertiliser price once the UPFA comes to power. The Finance Minister has taken this decision in support of the pledge given to the farmers by the President and the UPFA to reduce the Urea fertilizer prices as a relief measure to farmers who faced severe hardships due to rising Urea fertiliser prices during the former UNF regime. The decision taken by the Finance Minister has been submitted to President for her approval. Following the directive given by the President, the Finance Ministry will take immediate measures to reduce the Urea fertilizer prices by Rs. 200 or more, the sources said. During the past two years, the former UNF Government increased urea fertiliser prices from Rs.350 to Rs.1000. Thirteen farmers of the All Ceylon Peasants Federation commenced a death fast opposite the Fort Railway station on February 6 to force then UNF Government to bring down Urea fertiliser prices. However, farmers called off their campaign following a memorandum presented to them by MP Anura Bandaranaike (now Industries and Tourism Minister) and JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa assuring that the new Freedom Alliance Government formed by the SLFP-JVP will reduce fertiliser prices and provide solutions to all the burning problems faced by the farmer community. The decision taken by the UPFA Government to reduce Urea fertilizer prices once it came to power clearly indicates the UPFA Government's firm dedication to fulfil the pledges given to farmers, the sources added. |
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