|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 2 January 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Essential foods for tidal wave victims in CWE by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi The main engine of the public sector for distribution and marketing essential food items in the past, CWE was revived and revitalized to assist the tidal wave victims in the island. Under the instructions of the Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, CWE commenced sending essential food items such as rice, dhal, sugar, potatoes and canned fish to all GAs of the areas devastated by the tidal waves. The decision to send food items immediately to the devastated areas through CWE, was taken by the Presidential Task Force.The transportation of the essential food items to devastated areas from Colombo will be handled by the Navy with the assistance of other forces, to the Chairman of CWE Mahinda Gammanpila said. According to the Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Ministry sources, government has sufficient stocks of imported rice, dhal, potatoes and sugar to meet any eventuality. We managed to mitigate the manipulated price increases of rice and essential food items by some of the unscrupulous private sector traders as a result of the importation of rice and other food items by CWE, cooperatives and private sector directed by Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.The public sector leading commercial organisation - CWE - a brainchild of the pioneer socialist politician T. B. Ilangaratna, had been crippled by the previous government which sold the retail network of CWE to the private sector. More than one million people in the coastal belt in Sri Lanka from KKS to Chilaw were rendered homeless due to the massive Tsunami tidal waves. According to news reaching Colombo, they badly need medicinal items, essential food, drinking water and clothes. The food items which are being sent to the GAs by CWE will be distributed among the victims through divisional government channels. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
