The proposed price revisions on essential food commodities recommended by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Cost-of-Living will be taken up at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.
The decision to increase prices of wheat flour, milk powder, rice, cement and gas was taken up at the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Cost-of-Living (CoL) which met on Friday via Zoom technology. According to the proposed price revisions, a kilogram of milk powder is proposed to be increased by Rs. 200, a kilogram of wheat flour by Rs. 10, cement by Rs. 50 and LP gas by Rs. 550.
However, the decision to increase the prices of essential food items has been postponed till the next Cabinet meeting tomorrow, State Minister of Cooperative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna said.
Earlier, the State Minister had told the media that the Government would only permit an upward price revision if the importers agree to ensure that an adequate supply would be available for sale in the market without any shortage and an uninterrupted supply of goods for the next three months, and that importers would not request for another upward price revision for three months.
At the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Cost-of- Living virtually held at Temple Trees on Friday, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the Controller General of Imports and Exports and the Director General of Customs to immediately release all stocks of essential food items at the Port.