Govt. to prevent rice mills owners from raising price of rice by hiding it

The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industry, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera stated that the shortage of rice, which some rice mill owners are trying to artificially create while there is sufficient stock of rice in the country, is a ploy used to raise the price of rice during this festive season.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, the officers of the Consumer Protection Authority have the power to inspect and prosecute, but they also have the power to inspect and prosecute only persons and institutions who sell at higher prices. They have not been empowered to prosecute persons hiding rice or other foodstuffs or to inspect such places.

For this reason, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera mentioned that it was discussed in the Cabinet Ministers to amend the Consumer Protection Act and give powers to the owners of large-scale rice mills who are currently hiding rice and also to file lawsuits.

The Minister of Consumer Affairs will submit the necessary amendments to the Cabinet for the amendment of this Act next month.

The Minister of Agriculture also mentioned the statement made by former Minister Roshan Ranasinghe when he met the Mihintale Nayaka Thero that the Minister of Agriculture has agreed to import rice in the Cabinet.

Currently there is a shortage of keeri samba rice in the country. This shortage of rice is also created by large scale rice mill owners and small scale rice mill owners. However, since there is a high demand for Keeri Samba during this festive season, it was proposed to import three hundred thousand metric tons of alternative rice, but as the Minister of Agriculture, I proposed to reduce the amount to 50,000 metric tons and the Minister said that it was approved by the Cabinet.

Also, due to the shortage of rice in the year 2022, 08 lakh metric tons were imported into Sri Lanka, but from January 2023 to the second week of this December, not a grain of rice was imported from abroad so far, the minister said.

We have been consuming our country’s rice all this year. Our farmers have saved the government more than 300 million dollars spent on rice imports this year. Therefore, the people of the country should be grateful to our farmers, the minister added.

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