Co-op Cites helping bring prices down

Milton DHARMASINGHE Bulathsinhala special corr.

Following the opening of Co-op City and Mini Co-op City trade centres throughout the country, prices of food commodities have come down considerably and the private sector have not been able to increase prices indiscriminately.

Co-op societies of today are able to compete with the private sector successfully said Trade, Marketing Development, Consumer Affairs and Co-operatives Minister Bandula Gunawardane.

The Minister was addressing a meeting at the opening of the 364th Co-op City at Gurugoda Junction set up by Ingiriya Udugahapattu MPCS recently.

Minister Gunawardane said, the name of President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be written in the history of our country not only as the leader who liberated the North and East from LTTE terrorism but also as the leader who liberated the Co-operative movement from the grip of the private sector and resurrected fallen Co-op societies in the country." "I requested the President to grant tax concessions to the Co-op movement. He considered my request and exempted the Co-op societies from income tax, vat, and debit tax. In addition to that he granted Rs. 1,000,000 to every Co-op society to open Co-op City trade centres in every district. We have now opened 102 new Sathosa Trade Centres, 15 Economy Trade Centres, 364 Co-op Cities and we are in the process of opening 1000 Mini Co-op Cities in several areas which provides quality goods.

The majority of consumers have now turned to Co-op City Centres rather than patronising private owned super markets.

"For the Sinhala New Year festival consumers who turn up to Co-op shops, banks, Sanasa centres, to engage in financial transactions will be given a jak plant as a present to be cultivated in their home gardens to mark the Sinhala New Year. For this, 30,000 jak plants are being made available for free distribution.

Horana SLFP Organizer Vidura Wickramanayake, Ingiriya Udugahapattu MPCS Chairman Sunil Jayakody and a few others also spoke.