Lanka Sathosa slashes prices on eight items

• Cost reductions on directive of president, hopes new prices will spillover into supermarkets and shops 

 Lanka Sathosa yesterday slashed the prices of essential items including seven rice varieties and sprats from midnight. 

Lanka Sathosa Chairman T.M.K.B. Tennakoon told reporters the decision to reduce prices had been made on a directive by President Maithripala Sirisena.  He expressed confidence that a price reduction at Sathosa would lead to a spillover effect that would encourage private supermarkets and other shops to also reduce prices. 

“We hope this will result in the public being able to get their day-to-day essentials from all shops at one price,” he said.  

The price of a kilogramme of rice varieties is as follows:

White Nadu reduced to Rs. 74. from Rs. 77 (control price in August Rs. 72), White Kekulu Rice reduced to Rs. 65 from Rs. 68 (control price in August Rs. 70), Samba reduced to Rs. 84 from Rs. 89 (control price in August Rs. 87), Red Kekulu reduced to Rs. 75 from Rs. 77 (control price in August Rs. 78), Red Nadu reduced to Rs. 80 from Rs. 83 (control price in August Rs. 80), White Kekulu Samba reduced to Rs. 90 from Rs. 94 (control price in August Rs. 90), Red Kekulu Samba reduced to Rs. 88 from Rs. 90 (control price in August Rs. 90).

A kilo of big onions was sold to Rs. 125 but in other super markets a kilogramme of big onions was sold at Rs. 168. One kilogramme of local potatoes was sold at Sathosa outlets for Rs. 130 but it was Rs. 198 in other shops, he said. 

“Canned fish sold at Sathosa at a price of Rs. 130 but at other supermarkets the price of canned fish was more than Rs. 149. A Lanka Sathosa-branded 400 g milk powder packet was sold at Rs. 305 and a 1 kg milk powder packet was sold at Rs. 760. The price of a kilogramme of white sugar and dhal was sold at a price of Rs. 107 and Rs. 152, while a kilogramme of wheat flour was sold at Sathosa at a price of Rs. 86 other than the control price of Rs. 87,” he added.