The government is focusing on providing packs of essential food items to low-income earners in preparation for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

In order to make policy decisions related to ensuring food security, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, along with members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, gathered for the third time on Monday (24) at the Parliament premises to focus on these matters.

The meeting also concentrated on ensuring the continuous availability of essential food items without shortages during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period, as well as maintaining price control over these goods.

During the meeting, the budget proposal to allocate Rs.01 billion to provide essential food items at subsidized prices to low-income families during the festive season was thoroughly discussed.
The discussion also focused on maintaining essential goods’ prices at minimal levels in the market, with particular attention given to the reduction of bakery product prices.

The purchase of rice was another key point of discussion, with attention directed towards ensuring that rice mill owners use the credit facilities provided to purchase the appropriate quantities of rice. Concerns were raised that some rice mill owners were using the credit for other purposes, and officers were instructed to investigate these matters.

It was disclosed that several prominent rice mill owners had obtained over 15 billion rupees in bank loans for the procurement of rice. Consequently, the government plans to purchase 250,000 metric tons of rice and has focused on encouraging smaller rice mill owners to engage in the purchasing process. Officials were further directed to ensure the prevention of any rice shortages.

Additionally, the meeting discussed the expansion of the cooperative and Sathosa trade networks to offer essential goods at subsidized prices to consumers. The establishment of a consumer-friendly market, supported by effective price controls, was also addressed.

The meeting included the participation of Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Kapila Janaka Bandara, and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, consisting of ministry secretaries.