The government has decided to import rice from India, Pakistan and Myanmar until the millers reduce rice prices, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena said.
He said that they have signed agreements with India to import Ponni samba varieties in order to control the increasing price of Keeri Samba.
“Ponni Samba which is similar to Keeri samba would be sold at Sathosa outlets, priced at Rs 130 per kilo,” he said.
He added that a person would be issued only 3 kilos of Ponni samba at a time.
This move was taken to stop merchants buying large quantities of the imported rice variety and controlling the market, he elaborated.
The Minister also said that the government has signed agreements with Pakistan and Myanmar too to provide two white rice varieties. He added that they plan to keep importing foreign rice varieties and sell them at lower prices until mass scale millers reduce prices of rice.
Former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, arrested on allegation of corruption by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has been remanded until July 1 by the Colombo Magistrate court.
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Stabilization and NPP National List MP Harshana Suriyapperuma who is tipped to be named the next Finance Ministry Secretary resigned from Parliament today.
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