10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

The Hon. Amila Prasad

Samagi Jana Balawegaya· Gampaha· 18 December 2024 ·Adjournment: Adjournment Questions

Cost of Living
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Hon. Amila Prasad argued that the fixed Rs. 5 retail margin on rice is inadequate for retailers in areas farther from production centres, such as Gampaha or Marandagahamula, due to additional costs including packaging. He said this has discouraged retailers from purchasing rice, contributing to shortages in the market, and distinguished the issue from wholesale pricing.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Hon. Minister, I asked because a fixed Rs. 5 margin means someone near Polonnaruwa will get the full Rs. 5, but when it comes to Gampaha or Marandagahamula, that Rs. 5 is insufficient. I am asking about the retailer. The wholesale issue is different; they can set their numbers. But within that Rs. 5 target, even the polybag costs money. So retailers are trying not to purchase rice, which is causing a shortage in the market.

Provenance

Source
Hansard, Wednesday, 18 December 2024 ·No. 1735286612086554 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Amila Prasad. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 18 December 2024. No. 1735286612086554. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/12273