News

Price of rice and curry hits two-year-high for average family

Published

4 years ago

2021/12/10

By Sanath Nanayakkare

The cost of a meal consisting of rice, vegetables and meat or fish, consumed at an average Sri Lankan household, hit a two-year high in November 2021, a food price tracker for Sri Lanka has shown.

Advocata’s ‘Bath Curry Indicator (BCI), a simple tool that tracks the prices of common food items that go into a rice and curry dish in Sri Lanka, shows that the cost of a meal increased by 13.5% from October to November 2021.

“Since 2019, retail prices have increased by 44%. This means that an average family, which spends Rs. 960 weekly on the BCI basket of food items in November 2019, now has to pay Rs 1,390 for the same basket of goods just two years later,” the researcher said.

“The food items whose prices increased the most in the past month alone were tomatoes (206%), beans (33%) and green chilli (23%),” the Advocata study has revealed.

The BCI tracks the weekly retail prices in the Colombo market of the most commonly consumed food ingredients that might be used in a typical rice and curry meal. Information about the prices are collected from the ‘Weekly Indicators’ that the Central Bank publishes.

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said on Saturday that there had been an uptick in inflation and it would taper off as supply side disruptions and global commodity prices eased in the coming months.

SJB MP Harsha de Silva said on Monday that there was a correlation between inflation and the money supply. The government followed the Modern Monetary Theory and printed money at such a rate that it devalued the currency and spiked inflation.

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Bus fares increased by 12.19% from midnight today [23]

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/23

Priyan

Bus fares have been increased by 12.19% with effect from midnight today [23rd March 2026].

The minimum fare will be increased from Rs 27 to Rs 30 while the maximum fare of Rs2159/- will be increased to 2422/-

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Public will not be served as Computer system failure at Department of Registration of Persons

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/23

Priyan

The Acting Commissioner General of Registration of Persons has announced that due to an unexpected failure of the computer system of the Department of Registration of Persons, all services, including the one day service will not be held on Tuesday (24th March) at the Head Office and all Provincial offices.

Latest News

Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya districts

Published

12 hours ago

2026/03/23

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
at 3.30 p.m. on 22 March 2026, valid for 23 March 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in
Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.