No room will be left to affect farmer community due to decrease of duty on imported rice: Ravi K

No room will be left to affect the farmer community due to the decrease of duty on imported rice varieties, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.  

He pointed out that the responsibility of the Government was to protect the consumer on one hand and on the other hand to safeguard the farming community.

The Minister expressed these views at a ceremony held to lay the foundation stone for a Dharmasalawa at Sri Kalyani Gangarama Temple in Mattakkuliya yesterday. This Dharmasalawa will be built using the personal funds of the Finance Minister at a cost of Rs. 25 million.

Speaking to the gathering, Minister Karunanayake said that serving the people was the duty of true politicians. He said it was natural for such politicians to be targeted by the corrupt in the country when they attempted to fulfill the aspirations of the people. The Minister added that such baseless accusations would give more courage in the forward march towards serving the people.

The Finance Minister went on to state: “Various factions make allegations that the cost of living has gone up. But as members of a Government which abides by its policy to practice what is preached, we should say clearly that the prices of essential commodities are lesser than that of the prices that prevailed in the market before 8 January 2015. The prices of 25 essential commodities dropped under the 100-day program of good governance. Except rice, the prices of all other goods are still unchanged.

We removed duty on imported rice. Accordingly, the dispute on the rice issue was brought to a minimal level. We are ready to take stern legal action against unscrupulous traders who attempt to sell rice at exorbitant prices.

“President Maithripala Sirisena is a leader who has a very good awareness about agriculture. We took action to control the price of rice on the guidance of the President. At the same time, we should mention that no room will be left to affect the farmer community by the drop of duty on imported rice.

Simultaneously, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been winning over the international community today and is trying to strengthen the future of the country. We will be able to make a new change in the country in the near future,” the Minister added. 

The Chief Incumbent of Sri Kalyani Gangaramaya Ven. Kudaheelle Rathan Thera, Mela Karunanayake and former Municipal Councillor Chaminda Aluthgedara and several others participated in the event.