Steps Taken Towards Reducing Rice Prices ……

Depending  on reduction of  rice prices ,  the Cabinet of Ministers have considered  the need for  importing rice from neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs has taken steps to issue 90,958 MT of paddy of the Paddy Marketing Board at district level to private paddy mill owners and Lanka Sathosa to be processed into rice.

In the meantime, on a request made by President Maithripala Sirisena,   the Government of Indonesia expressed it’s  willingness  to  donate 10,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to Sri Lanka.  This stock of rice  will arrive in Sri Lanka soon, the Government Information Department said.

Currently a kilogram of rice is being sold through Sathosa outlets at Rs. 76. But although  private mill owners were issued with adequate paddy, they  have still not issued rice to  the market

The Cabinet has decided to appoint a Cabinet Subcommittee to issue the rest of the paddy  stocks  following  a suitable method and to take action against mill owners,  who have failed to issue  rice stocks to the market.