Sudu Kekulu at Rs 50 from today

Irangika RANGE

White raw rice (Sudu Kekulu) imported from Pakistan will be sold to the public from today through all co-operative regionals across the country at a reduced price of Rs 50 per kilo. Trade, Marketing Development and Co-operatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardene told the media that this decision was taken at the Cost of Living Committee headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to provide relief to the people by preventing any rice shortage occurring in the country.

"The maximum retail price stipulated by the Government for white raw rice is Rs 60 per kilo and we will sell a kilo of white raw rice to the public at Rs 50," he said.

The Minister said that 5,000 mts of white raw rice imported from Pakistan by the State Trading (General) Corporation are stored in the Food Commissioner's Department Stores in Narahenpita. These stocks of rice will be distributed to countrywide co-operatives through the Sri Lanka Consumer Co-operative Societies Federation Ltd (COOPFED) .

A sufficient white raw rice stocks will be released to all co-operatives in the country from the Food Commissioner's Department in Narahenpita from today to be sold to the public at the concessionary rate of Rs 50.

He requested all co-operative societies across the country to be contacted the COOPFED and obtain sufficient white raw rice stocks to sell consumers at lower price of Rs 50 per kilo.

"Under the second stage, we will take measures to release white raw rice at a retail price of Rs 50 (kilo) to Sathosa outlets in the country."

"Sufficient rice stocks will also be released to the super market chain in Sri Lanka if they make a request to the COOPFED," the Minister said. He said that the Government has ordered adequate rice stocks which is a substitute for samba rice from Pakistan. Once the stock arrives, a kilo of rice will be sold at Rs 69 to the public.

"If there is any rice surplus with the reaping of the rice harvest in the country, we will maintain additional stocks as a buffer stock at the state warehouses".

He said adequate rice stocks imported from Pakistan would continuously arrive in the country from this week. Therefore, consumers will be able to purchase the rice at lower prices sans scarcity as adequate stocks will be available in the market from this week.

"We have taken this decision to prevent the traders going ahead with their plans to create an artificial scarcity to jack up prices these days," he said.