《 By Pushpakumara Mallawaarachchi- Mirigama correspondent 31 December 2024 》
With the shortage of Nadu and white raw rice varieties in the market, Sri Lankans will find it difficult to prepare traditional milk rice to welcome the dawn of New Year, a trader said.
According to Maradagahamula Rice Traders’ Association’s member S.S. Ranasinghe, there is a severe shortage of such local rice varieties in the market. White raw variety is widely used to make Kiribath, a traditional meal prepared by people on the occasions of national festivals.
Earlier, in the wake of rice shortage and allegations about leading mill owners hoarding stocks, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake directed rice traders to sell Nadu rice to consumers at a wholesale price of Rs.225 per kilo and a retail price of Rs. 230 per kilo. These two mostly consumed varieties in the country. Rice is also the staple of Sri Lanka.
The government also removed restrictions on rice imports. So far, over 75,000 tonnes of rice have been imported.
However, there are complaints about shortages of some varieties because traders refuse to sell at regulated prices.
Mr. Ranasinghe said rice trading has been politicized. He said though the current government is not responsible for the shortage, it was not taking practical steps to address the issue.
“It is natural for rice prices and interest rates to increase in November, December and January. The absence of a proper mechanism to manage the crisis resulted in the current predicament. It is difficult for us to find local varieties to prepare milk rice for the New Year,” he said.
Traders also demand the reduction of import duty on rice, which is now Rs.65 a kilo.
Association’s President B.K. Ranjith said there is a severe shortage of raw rice and Nadu rice, and other varieties are also sold above the regulated price rates.
A spokesman for the Association of Essential Items Importers and Traders Association said sufficient stocks had been imported but wholesale traders are resultant to purchase because of price controls in retail trading.
“We have imported enough stocks and stored them. Yet, wholesalers are hesitant to buy because of price controls,” he said.⍐
Vegetable prices skyrocket due to festive season
By Naalir Jamaldeen
Vegetable prices are skyrocketing in the dedicated economic centres at several places across the country including the Dambulla Centre, accompanied by the increased demand for vegetables during this festive season, in comparison to the last.
Accordingly, the whole price of 1 kg beans had gone up from Rs 350 to Rs 400 and 1 kg green chillies from Rs 800 to Rs 900. In addition, the price of some other vegetables such as carrots, lady’s fingers and tomatoes had gone up significantly.
As per the market situation on 29 December, the price of both local and upcountry vegetables had gone up by a significant amount, the vendors at the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre said.
One kilogram of pumpkin, which was sold at Rs 160, has gone up to a range from Rs 300 to Rs 400 and the price of other upcountry vegetables too are fluctuating between Rs 500 and Rs 800, the Dambulla Economic Centre officials said.
In addition, 1 kg green chillies fluctuates at a retail price of between Rs 1,400 and Rs 1,500 and 1 kg tomato at a retail price of between Rs 600 and Rs 800. The market officials pointed out that such a situation is routine after Christmas.
This situation is expected to normalise within the next few weeks in the New Year. The prices of vegetables can also be expected to drop.
Female entrepreneurs seek electricity fare relief
31 Dec 2024 | BY Sumudu Chamara TM
The National Women’s Unity organisation urged the authorities to take immediate measures to reduce the cost of electricity, underscoring that the existing electricity fares have dealt a heavy blow to entrepreneurs.
Presenting a set of proposals to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to be taken into account in the first electricity fare revision next year (2025), the organisation stressed that fair price revisions are the right of every citizen. Presenting both national-level and provincial-level proposals, they said that electricity should be priced including only the costs of generation and distribution, while the excess profit earned through the sale of electricity should be distributed among electricity consumers, the expenses should be slashed with a low-cost generation plan, the Government should take over power plants that do not meet standards, and the programme for providing 100,000 solar panels for low-income groups which has come to a halt should be resumed.
The organisation’s President, Hashini Silva, told The Daily Morning that these proposals should be taken into account without delay as many small-scale businesses are on the brink of collapse. “The majority of those involved in domestic and small-scale entrepreneurship are women. Even those engaged in such efforts at a small-scale, which require electricity, are giving up these efforts or have reduced their efforts.” She added that high electricity fares have resulted in a negative impact on sectors such as apparel, food manufacturing, and agriculture, and that overall, these issues prevail in almost all areas of the country.
In addition, explaining that the social, economic, and environmental factors prevailing in various provinces are not the same, she explained that the authorities should therefore go beyond merely looking into fare revisions and take decisions in a manner that takes into account these diverse factors.
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