National committees to supervise Economic Centres

The Cabinet of Ministers on a memorandum submitted by Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister, Johnston Fernando has appointed a National Operations Committee to manage and supervise the special economic centres.

The Committee will be responsible for monitoring the increase in food prices and making available food items to consumers at affordable prices. There are special economic centres at Narahenpita, Dambulla, Meegoda, Veyangoda, Ratmalana and Piliyandala at present.Mass Media and Information Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly Cabinet briefing that the Committee's main task would be to break the trade monopoly and pass on the benefit to consumers.

The increase in vegetable prices would drop within the next two weeks, Cooperatives and Internal Trade Ministry sources said.

Meanwhile, the Colombo market has begun to receive stocks of vegetables from Meegoda, Meepe and Dambulla markets and Jaffna.

Meanwhile the Minister told the Sunday Observer that the administration of the economic centres had collapsed and various Mafia groups had operated within these economic centres. In addition some of the officers at these economic centres have not discharged their duties properly. Therefore a special Cabinet paper was presented to set up a National Operations Committee (NPC) to supervise the administration and functions of the economic centres.

The Minister said the economic centres are supervised by the Ministry and the functions have been proved be satisfactory. The establishment of the NPC would facilitate the smooth functioning of the centres by preventing malpractices.

Minister Fernando said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has given the guidelines to immediately bring the functions and condition of the centres to a higher level. The Ministry has already taken steps to modernise several centres. A sum of Rs. 50 million has been allocated to modernise the Dambulla Economic Centre while Rs. 15 million has been reserved to modernise the one at Narahenpita. Initiatives have also been taken to fully modernise the Ratmalana Economic Centre.

According to the Minister the prices of goods at these economic centres are very low compared with the prices in the local market. At present the Centre at Narahenpita has turned out to be a key market place and is always fully crowded. Therefore difficulties have been encountered in providing parking facilities to the huge number of vehicles which flow into this Centre.