โ€˜Strict actionโ€™

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Sri Lanka steps up consumer relief efforts

  • Four Cabinet Ministers call retail sector to obey
  • New MRPs now in force
  • More than 1000 detections by CAA!
  • โ€˜Strict actionโ€™-Rishad
  • โ€˜Call 1977 free-any time of day!โ€™ โ€“Jayawickreme Perera

As reported incidences of consumer price violations increased, Sri Lanka stepped up its battle to implement the newly slashed retail prices of selected consumer goods on 04 March in earnest -and no less than four top Cabinet Ministers are now joining the call. โ€œI have been given to understand that errant sellers and vendors have not yet passed price reductions to the suffering consumers. This is an illegal practice. Therefore we request you as investigation officers under my Ministry to enhance your District based awareness efforts, increase detections and legal actions in the next two weeksโ€ said Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce) on 04 March in Colombo.

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing on 04 March the 200 CAA investigation officers from all Districts of Sri Lanka who were present at Committee Room No 1 of Parliament to meet the Cabinet Ministers on speedy implementation of price relief given by the recent interim budget. Ministers Karu Jayasuriya (Buddha Sasana, Public Administration, Democratic Governance), Gamini Jayawickrama Perera (Food Security), Rishad Bathiudeen (Industry and Commerce), and Gayantha Karunathilleke (Mass Media) as well as top officials of CAA were meeting the CAAโ€™s island-wide detection squad.

โ€œOur government led by HE the President Maithripala Sirisena and Hon Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, aims at bringing relief to consumers across Sri Lankaโ€ said Minister Bathiudeen, and added: โ€œHis Excellency the President in his 100 day program promised to reduce prices on essential food items. At the same time special provisions to be put in place for protection of those producing such goods locally.ย  As you know by now the CAA has now gazetted the Maximum Retail Prices of selected food items as per the consumer relief efforts of HE the President Maithripala Sirisena. However I have been given to understand that some errant sellers and vendors have not yet passed these price reductions to the suffering consumers with more than 1000 detections already. This is an illegal practice and damages the consumer confidence. It also violates the aims of our government to give relief to the consumers of Sri Lanka. As investigation officers under my Ministry it is you who can ensure that the suffering consumers can get the benefit of budget price reductions. Therefore we request you to enhance your District based awareness efforts, increase detections and legal actions in the next two weeks. We are also planning to gazette Maximum Retail Prices for plain tea (Rs 15.00), Milk tea (Rs 20) and hopper (Rs 10) in the near future. We will also direct the Government Agent to enlist CAA detection and investigation officials to their monthly District Program Review Meetings in future so that regional government officials will become aware of CAA implementations. โ€

On 20 February, acting under the powers vested in it by Section 20 (5) of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No 09 of 2003, the CAA in the Gazette Extraordinary No 1902/55 ordered that โ€œno manufacturer importer packer distributor or trade shall sell the following items above the Maximum Retail Prices specified.โ€ In that, the MRP of items are unpacked White Sugar at Rs 87.00 per kg Milk powder 400 Grams 325.00 (and 1 Kg at 810.00) Sustagen 400 grams tin Rs 1500.00 unpacked wheat flour 87.00 per kilo green grams 265.00 per kilo dried sprats Rs 385.00 per kilo a 425 grams canned fish tin only Rs 140.00 and Rs 70.00 for 155 gram tin a kilo of coriander Rs 350.00 per Kilo black grams (ulundu) 300.00 per Kilo a kilo of maldive fish at Rs 1740.00 turmeric crushed or ground Rs 800.00 per kilo and crushed or ground chillies at 400.00 a Kilo.

โ€œAny affected consumer can call 1977 which is a free call at any time of the day or night from anywhere in the country. Our detection squad will take immediate actionโ€ said Gamini Jayawickreme Perera (Minister of Food Security), addressing the officers.

Ministers also took part in an in-depth discussion with the 200 investigation officers on 04 March.