CWE opens doors for wholesale merchants

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

CWE OPENING: The Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) Rajagiriya branch would be reopened on Monday on a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Government has taken several steps to reduce the cost of living and one move initiated in this regard was to allow wholesale operators to sell their produce direct to the public.

This decision was a taken by the President who met wholesale dealers operating in Pettah last week at Temple Trees. It was pointed out that it is the intervention of the middleman, which increases the prices of commodity goods.

Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Dr. R. M. K. Ratnayake said that the intervention of the middleman has increased prices in the local market by almost 15 percent.

"What the Government is planning to do is to request around 30 wholesale dealers to sell their commodities at the CWE outlet in Rajagiriya. This would enable the public in the area to purchase their commodities at wholesale prices," he said.

Dr. Ratnayake said that this scheme would be subsequently introduced to the CWE outlet in Colombo 5 and later to other areas as well. "When the scheme is fully operational we expect the commodities in the country to come down by at least 10 percent," he said.

The Government in a bid to put a check to the rising oil prices on Monday introduced a special low priced motor gasoline for three wheeler drivers.

The new gasoline will be given at Rs 10 or 15 less than the price of petrol. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation will shoulder the loss from this and it will be passed on to the Government.

Small scale entrepreneurs too will be provided with pumps and tanks for self employment and to reduce their fuel costs.