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| Thursday, 28 October 2004 |
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by Uditha Kumarasinghe The Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry decision to import rice has led to a reduction in the price of rice in the local market by nearly 35 per cent. The Ministry has already imported nearly 4000 metric tons of rice from Pakistan and India aimed at arresting the high rice prices in the local market, a Ministry spokesman told the Daily News yesterday. The Ministry has also provided the opportunity to consumers to purchase rice at concessionary rates from the CWE stores complex at D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo. A kilo of samba rice is sold at Rs. 35 while a kilo of Sudu Kekulu and a kilo of Basmathi rice is sold at Rs. 27.50 and Rs. 42 here. "Before the Ministry decision to import rice, the price of a kilo of Sudu Kekulu was Rs. 47, a Kilo of samba rice Rs. 50 and a kilo of Basmathi rice Rs. 87." He said the decision to import rice was taken by Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to bring down the local price of rice which has been escalating. The rice price in the local market has been considerably reduced due to Fernandopulle's decision to import a certain quantity of rice while releasing existing rice stocks to the market through rice mill owners. Once the Yala paddy harvest is gathered, the local rice prices are expected to come down further, he said. The Ministry will also distribute rice stocks to Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kurunegala, Puttalam and Gampaha districts. Consumers in these areas will able to purchase a kilo of Sudu Kekulu at Rs. 28 from next week. Due to the reduction in the price of rice in the local market, the Ministry has now temporarily stopped the import of rice. However, if there is a possibility of rice price escalation, the Ministry will import rice to bring down the local rice price, he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry has decided to open another CWE outlet at Orugodawatte to distribute rice at low prices shortly, he said. |
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