Ministry earns over Rs. 34 million from errant traders in 2010

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

The Consumer Protection Authority CPA will be further strengthened by recruiting new hands and raids against errant traders will be intensified, said Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando.

Over ten thousand raids were conducted islandwide and fines exceeding Rs. 34 million were collected from the errant traders during the last seven months in 2010. In last January alone 2001 raids were conducted and Rs. 9 million earned as revenue, he said.

Already sixty five new hands have been recruited to the CPA. The staff will be further increased depending on the need, the Minister said. Most of the traders were found guilty of their failure to display price tags or selling consumer items such as rice at higher prices, he said.

A disciplined market is the need of the hour. The conditions of the local market has improved this year compared to the previous years due to the strict surveillance of the CPA. Due to the lack of adequate staff the number of raids conducted during the previous years could not exceed 3000, he said.

The prices of important food items such as rice, sugar, dhal, onion, eggs, chicken, milk powder and fish remained stable during the last two months due to the availability of sufficient stocks of such items with Laksathosa and co-operative outlets. Vegetable prices will also come down soon, he said.

Transport cost, the wastage and the role of the middleman were the main causes for higher vegetable prices. As decided at the recent cost of living and food preservation committee meeting chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, immediate steps, including supply of plastic containers to vegetable transporters have been taken by my Ministry, the Minister said.

The President pointed out the importance of a methodology for vegetable purchases at concessionary prices, so that more relief could be given to the consumers.