Due to timely intervention:

Prices of consumables plummet

*Rice from Rs.45 per kg:

*Gas prices remain unchanged:

Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardena in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer staffer L.S.A. Wedaarachchi said that timely intervention had succeeded in maintaining stable and reasonable prices of essential commodities like rice, milk powder and LP Gas. Certain private traders desired to make unreasonable profit, but the strategies of the government prevented it.

Q: The Food commodity prices, specially rice, and vegetable have dropped during the last couple of weeks. Do you think that this trend will continue?

A: Certainly this trend will continue since this is the positive result of the government policies. Owing to the international financial crisis no government can supply imported food commodities or other items on low prices.

The world prices are spiralling continuously due to the oil price hikes. At present a bumper harvest of rice and vegetables is available in market from South as well as North. The new harvest in North and East after the liberation from LTTE terrorists, is very high.

The agricultural development programme, "Api Wavamu, Rata Nagamu" encouraged the farmers to cultivate the paddy fields and the lands abandoned due to terror threats.

Today the market is full of local produce such as rice grams and vegetables with prices at an affordable level. Various rice varieties such as kakulu, nadu, kiri samba, samba are available from Rs. 45 - Rs. 90 in the market. Those prices are lower than the controlled prices. This is what we expected through the people friendly "Mahinda Chinthana" policies.

Q: The multinational companies wanted you to increase the milk powder and gas prices which you did not agree. It is an election "gundu"?

A: Definitely NOT. These decisions are not for the election-targeted. The government has a programme to stabilize the prices of essential items and there is a cabinet sub committee headed by the president to look into such matters regularly The government recently removed the taxes imposed on gas imports to help distributors cushin any loss due to the world price hikes.

Although Shell Gas and Laugfs Gas sought a price increase by Rs. 224 and Rs. 198 respectively prices remain unchanged due to the government decision of removing taxes. The two gas companies have been pressing for a price hike since last November.

The government however decided to maintain status quo to give effect to its policy of providing relief to the people in the aftermath of the war we are glad that we were able to stabilise the gas prices continuously for the past six months by sticking to our policy of providing relief to the people.

Q: When you took over cooperative portfolio four years ago, the co-op movement was about to collapse due to wrong decisions taken by the previous UNP government.

The Cooperative movement immensely facilitated the lives of the people during the last 100 years or so. Its role is catering to the consumer needs particularly in the distribution of food items during crisis situations is commendable, to say the least.

A: I agree to what you have said. When I assumed duties as the Minister incharge of Trade, Marketing and Cooperatives I had observed that the Co-operative movement was unable to move ahead due to its heavy bank debts.

On the advice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa all bank debts have been written off. Funds were allocated to Co-operative societies to open up new Co-op City Shops and resume business activities.

As a result of the state patronage the Cooperative movement in Sri Lanka achieved a great success during the last 4 years. I am glad to add that the Cooperative movement has been transformed into one of the major marketing networks as well as small and medium scale producers in the country under the "Co-op City" programme 363 - Co-op cities and 1100 mini Co-op cities are today catering to the consumer needs throughout the country selling food and other essential items at reasonable prices.

Q: Would you like to comment on the privatized 'Sathosa' organisation during the UNP regime?

A: The motive of the 'Sathosa' privatization programme is crystal clear - It was to kill - 'Sathosa' and allow unbridled freedom to the private sector resulting the retrenchment of CWE employees. It is essential to have strong government arm in the market to control the unscrupulous behaviours of some unscrupulous certain private sector traders.

Lak Sathosa which was setup by late Trade Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle is the strongest super market network in the country today 'Lak Sathosa' which has been very popular among the people now have 161 branches in the country. It will be increased to 200 before the end of this year due to great demand to cater to the ever-increasing demands.

Q: The election fever had reached its climax today. Your election campaign which is considered one of the very sound campaigns. What have you to say about upcoming General Election.

A: The Opposition has already accepted its defeat. At present they are harnessing their energies not seeking victory but to prevent DUNF getting the two-third majority.

The highest number of votes and the highest majority were recorded from Homagama electorate at the last Presidential election.

Almost all the seats of the Colombo district were won by the DUNF at the last Presidential election. No doubt the DUNF will bring in more than 12 MPs from the Colombo district including Homagama at the upcoming election.

Q: Those close to you say that you are fully committed to serve the country without caring for your personal needs or comfort. Your vision, if any and also future expectation.

A: We all must work hard to rebuild the country. No doubt Sri Lanka can become the Asian miracle!