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Govt. plans to import sugar from India and dhal from Australia
View(s):The Government has decided to import sugar from India and dhal from Australia.
According to a cabinet paper submitted by Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena, sugar will be imported from National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and dhal from Australia’s JANTEC Group. The objective is to provide sugar and dhal at affordable prices to the people through state outlets such as co-operative stores and Lanka Sathosa.
The minister said once the imported stocks arrived, the retail price of a kilogram of dhal would be Rs 175 and sugar Rs 107.
Under the plan, some 2,500 Mt each of sugar and dhal will be imported and money for this will be obtained as a concessionary loan from the co-operative fund at two per cent interest.
The move came after government unsuccessfully tired to get private traders to reduce commodity prices.