The Cabinet of Ministers has given approval yesterday to the joint proposal made by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, Local Government and Democratic Governance Karu Jayasuriya and the Minister of Food Securoity Gamini Jayawickrema Perera to instruct the Consumer Affairs Authority to formulate a mechanism to ensure the price reductions made by the interim budget are passed on to the consumers and the relevant institutions to publish by gazette notifications the relevant price reductions.

 

 

Minister  of food Security Gamini Jayawickrema Perera  said that as per the Cabinet decision a kilogramme of Nadu rice will be purchased for Rs.45. This rice was earlier purchased at Rs.40. The minister added that a kilogramme of Keeri Samba will be purchased at Rs.50 and the purchasing will commence following a function in Nikaweratiya from Thursday.

 

 

He added that, for the first time in Sri Lanka, paddy will be purchased at the government stipulated price  making use of over 180 paddy storage facilities in the country, thus giving maximum relief to the farmers through this.

 

 

“We want to break the monopoly affecting the entire rice sector of Sri Lanka. From now onwards we will not allocate money to the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) to buy paddy since President Maithripala Sirisena has decided that the PMB has become corrupt,” said Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera.