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Hard
pressed hardware store owners in tsunami racket The main reason for this is the scarcity of building materials in comparison to the ever increasing demand. The soaring fuel prices that have increased the cost of transport have also added to this racketeering. In another racket, people who were not affected by the tsunami are reportedly showing houses that have been damaged by the tsunami saying they need help. The Sunday Times learns that the usual modus operandi of these people is to show these houses to individuals and NGOs involved in rebuilding houses and then get them to buy building material from hardware stores. These imposters then return the goods to the hardware store owner who pays him some amount after keeping a certain percentage for himself. Observers say that the police are unable to stop this racket which is mainly due to competition between hardware store owners. Indika Wasantha of Nafraz Enterprise told The Sunday Times that he believes that the racketeering has come about due to the desperate situation of hardware store owners. He said before the tsunami most of the goods were sold on credit and most of those customers were finding it difficult to pay back because they had lost everything to the tsunami. He said this forced them to sell goods at blackmarket prices. Sarath Ranaweera a hardware store owner in Unawattuna said unlike in Colombo, in the south the prices of hardware goods were high due to the transport cost. " But the competition among hardware owners has resulted in racketeering -such as selling low quality cement and timber used for construction," he said. |
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