Amendments of the prices of 15 consumer goods including sugar, dhal, potatoes, big onion, dry chilies, dry fish and milk powder will be declared today.
The decision was taken during the discussion between President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cabinet sub-committee on the living cost, held yesterday (July 12) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The attention was paid on providing essential goods to the consumers through Sathosa.
It was revealed that the price of the consumer goods increase due the actions by middlemen. They discussed about a proper method to protect farmers and the consumers from this issue.
The President directed the officials to implement a program to seek about the illegal practices of selling items, for which taxes have not been imposed, for higher prices, taking advantages of the tax hike for other goods. This program will be carried out by the Police and the Consumer Affairs Authority.
President Sirisena pointed out that there should be a proper method to educate the people about the price increase of the consumer goods due to the situations in world market and natural disasters.
The attention was paid on manufacturing products which are currently imported, but can be produced in the country. They also discussed about the ways to identify the local industries to replace the imported items, and to introduce them to the local market.
Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, W. D. J. Senevirathne, Rishad Bathiudeen, P. Harrison, Malik Samarawickrama and Duminda Dissanayake also participated in the discussion.