Price control demanded for rice, big onions and potatoes

The National Movement for Consumer Rights’ Protection (NMCRP) yesterday called on the Government to issue price controls for rice, big onions and potatoes, in line with fresh measures to enforce price controls on essential items. 

Writing to Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka, the organisation has demanded the inclusion of the three essential goods in the Cabinet paper which is expected to be tabled in the coming days to impose price controls for 10 essential items. 

Karunathilaka stated at the Cabinet briefing on Wednesday that the Government had identified 10 essential commodities and would give them concessions to reduce prices. The specific items are to be gazetted over the next few days. Fifteen essential goods have already been gazetted for price controls including rice, big onions, gas, cement, chicken, milk powder, canned fish, flour, dhal, chilies and sprats.

However NMCRP argued rice and big onions had not been included in the previous gazette as the Minister had said. 

It pointed out that three recent gazette papers, which were released to announce price controls for 21 essential items, including cement, sugar, full cream milk powder, Sustagen, sprats, dry fish, turmeric powder, chili powder, local milk powder, flour, canned fish and gram, did not include these three staples. 

Rice, big onions or potatoes have not been mentioned in those gazette papers, the organisation said.  

The President and Prime Minister plan to cut costs on essential goods through a combination of efforts including appointing a special ministerial committee, gazetting fresh price controls on 10 food items and deploying 1,500 officials to enforce controls countrywide.  

The steep rise in prices of basic fruits and vegetables had come under discussion at the Cabinet meeting this week with both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe insisting that stronger measures have to be taken to crack down on artificially-increased prices.

Parliamentary Affairs and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka and State Enterprise Development Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne told reporters that the Government in the coming weeks would roll out a slew of measures to protect consumers and deploy 1,500 officials from the Finance Ministry, provincial offices, Police and even army personnel to enforce acceptable prices. 

The Government will also launch a new hotline so consumers can complain about dishonest traders, the Minister said.(CG)