President directs Sathosa to sell select food items cheaper

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday directed Lanka Sathosa outlets to sell rice, sugar, dhal, canned fish and sprats at reduced prices.

The move comes hot on the heels of import duty on select food items being reduced last month.

Among items on which duty was reduced was canned fish, which had been included in the reduced prices list at Lak Sathosa outlets as per yesterday’s move.The mid-July announcement following the duty revision saw a price reduction of between Rs. 10 and 35 per kilo of items such as canned fish, dry fish, fish, sprats, potatoes and Bombay onions. This was in addition to LPG prices being reduced by Rs. 150 as well.

Given the higher exchange rate, both moves were termed as election gimmicks by the Opposition, though the Government has maintained that relief for consumers was warranted.