Cheaper essential items during festive season

The Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has decided to bring down the prices of certain food items by removing the Customs Duty for the benefit of consumers during the festive season.

The Ministry has decided to lift the customs duty on Bombay onions, potatoes dry fish, Maldive fish, red onions, coupi, green gram, canned fish and red chillies.

Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Additional Secretary, Janaka Sugathadasa said the prices of potatoes and Bombay onions have come down after the Ministry decided to remove the specific duty.

Under the FTA the CWE can import 1,000mt of potatoes from Pakistan on a duty free basis passing on the benefit to consumers, he said.

Sugathadasa said the recent sharp increase in the price of vegetables was due to the continuous rain during the past two months which had an adverse effect on the crops.

He said there will be no price revision in domestic gas, milk powder, cement and wheat flour which come under the category of essential items.

If any company wants to revise prices in any of these items it will have to seek approval from the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA). The price of gas cannot be increased since world fuel prices have come down, he said.