News
Budget 2018…price hikes or relief
View(s):With four days left for the much expected budget to be submitted in Parliament, the ordinary man and woman have mixed opinions on what is in store for them, given that the cost of living has rocketed to a new high.
Story and pix by Indika Handuwala, Amila Gamage, Sameera Weerasekera, Priyantha Wickramarachchi.
Despite government’s efforts to bring down prices of essential food items in its ‘Sathosa’ supermarket chain, prices remain significantly high in the open market.
Though controlled prices have been introduced for rice -the common man’s meal- vendors in Pettah are yet to bring down the prices for a number of varieties of rice.
Coconut prices remain high in spite of government’s efforts to sell the commodity at a lower price and traders have commenced selling scrapped coconut by the gram.
Three wheeler drivers in the city threatened by recent announcements of an increased tax on the import of new three-wheelers anxiously await budgetary announcements in this regard and how it will affect their trade.
Poorer sections have no alternative but to buy food unfit for human consumption at unauthorised street corner stalls
Foreigners are now the principal purchasers of fruit at the Colombo markets
Three wheel/tuk-tuk drivers face an uncertain future with speculation of increased taxes on import on new vehicles
With many unable to afford buying a coconut, traders have taken to selling scraped coconut by the gram
In search of bargains