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| Thursday, 15 July 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| Govt takes immediate measures to reduce sugar, dhal prices The Inter-Ministerial Committee monitoring the rising cost of living has decided to import sugar and dhal through the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment to reduce the prices of sugar and dhal in the local market. The Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse met on Tuesday evening has taken this decision since the import of dhal and sugar to the country by private importers has not helped in reducing the price for the benefit of local consumers. The committee comprises of Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Agriculture and Livestock Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the officials attached to those ministries met Tuesday evening at the Temple Trees to discuss the impact on the cost of living due to the increase of prices of rice, sugar and dhal in the market. As an immediate step to control the soaring price of rice in the local market the committee also decided to produce rice out of the 10,000 metric tons of paddy now stocked at the Agrarian Services Department and immediately release them to the market. The Inter-Ministerial Committee met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, also decided if required, to authorise the public and private sectors to import rice duty free in view of the anticipated scarcity of rice during the months of October, November and December. However, the authorization of import of rice will not be done immediately, the press release added. The Committee which discussed the prices of milk powder, fish and wheat flour also decided to authorise the private sector to import flour duty free on a competitive basis. In view of the soaring prices of milk powder the committee also decided to release 3000 metric tons of milk powder stocked at the Milco through the CWE outlets for the benefit of the low income groups in the country, the press release added. It was disclosed that the private and the public sector have been encouraged to buy local produce of paddy during the pending Yala season and that the CWE paddy mills of Pannegamuwa and Hingurakgoda have been arranged to be operational. |
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