News
Sri Lanka imposes price controls to tackle food shortages
Amal Jayasinghe AFP
Sri Lanka imposed price controls on key foods Friday as the government stepped up the use of emergency powers to counter shortages.
Queues formed outside state-run supermarkets even before they opened to sell sugar, seized from private dealers, at new prices, less than half of what was being charged on the open market on Thursday.
“There is no sugar available elsewhere,” moaned K. Perumal, 62, at the Sathosa store in Colombo’s Maligawatte area where he waited for his two kilogram (2.2 pound) quota.
“There are small children in my family, we need about six kilos of sugar a month,” he told AFP. “I have not been able to find milk at all.”
Another shopper, N. Wijeratne said two kilos was not enough but added: “Rationing is good because it will let others also a chance to get some supplies.”
The government, which declared a state of emergency this week, imposed a maximum price of 125 rupees for a kilo of sugar and 95 rupees for a kilo of white rice.
There have also been sharp price rises for rice, onions and potatoes. Long queues have also formed because of shortages of milk powder, kerosene oil and cooking gas.
Only government stores have been opening because of a nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Most other shops have only been engaged in online sales.
Experts have blamed the food crisis on a shortage of foreign exchange to import and maintain stocks.
The government has insisted the shortages were artificially created by traders profiting from the pandemic restrictions.
“Some fraudulent traders were hoarding essential food items such as paddy, rice and sugar in large quantities with the intention of selling them at higher prices,” the government said in a statement.
A military officer put in charge of efforts to bolster food stocks said more than 32,000 tonnes of sugar were found in raids on private warhouses carried out on Wednesday and Thursday.
The coronavirus pandemic has badly hit Sri Lanka’ tourism dependent economy which shrank by a record 3.6 percent in 2020.
The government last year banned imports of vehicles and other items, including edible oils and the widely used spice turmeric in a bid to save foreign currency.
Importers still say they have been unable to source dollars to pay for food and medicines.
By Akitha Perera
Discussions between the SJB and the UNP on forming a united front for the upcoming general election had collapsed due to the actions of a senior UNP member, SJB Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar. said.
Markar told The Island that initial talks between the two parties had been progressing smoothly until the intervention of a prominent UNP figure.
The early negotiations were headed by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara and UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene. “At one point, I thought the alliance was almost finalised. However, the involvement of the senior UNP member completely derailed the discussions,” Markar said.
The SJB proposed that Wijewardene assume the UNP leadership and Ranil Wickremesinghe be appointed a senior leader. “Wickremesinghe was opposed to this arrangement,” Markar added.
Former Governor Navin Dissanayake revealed on 27 September that MPs who had supported Wickremesinghe in the presidential election had decided to back SJB leader Sajith Premadasa as the prime ministerial candidate.
“At that stage, we thought we were close to an agreement. However, during last few days, the talks have deteriorated, and it now seems unlikely that we will contest the election together,” Markar said.
Nominations for the general election begins today (04) at 22 district election offices across the country with submissions being accepted until noon on 11 October.
By Rathindra Kuruwita
There are between 15,000 and 30,000 street children in the country, according to the last study on the subject, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Professional Forum of Physicians on Medical and Civil Rights, has said.
Speaking at a press conference in Colombo, on Thursday, he said the majority of those children tended to gather near places of worship and large business areas.
Dr. Sanjeewa expressed concern over the vulnerability of the street children, noting that they were often subjected to abuse and easily drawn into transporting narcotics. A significant number also ended up working as sex workers or beggars. He highlighted that many female child sex workers became underage mothers.
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka today and meet the Sri Lankan leadership.
A communique issued by the External Affairs Ministry of India said that in keeping with India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR outlook, the visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit.
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