The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe
Wasantha Samarasinghe said the immediate priority was ensuring the availability of essential goods, noting that retailers at least retained a Rs. 5 margin despite concerns over transport and packaging costs. He stated that prices were determined by the Consumer Affairs Authority based on surveys and evidence, not arbitrarily by the Government.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 What did they do when there was not even Rs. 5? There was nothing—no rice in the shop, no bags, no business. With the Rs. 5 margin, at least they know they have Rs. 5. You are right—transport costs are higher, and a shopping bag or some bag must be given. Those issues exist. But at this moment our priority is availability, Hon. Member. Based on that priority, the Consumer Affairs Authority, using its surveys and evidence, determined these prices. Prices are not set on the Government’s whim; they are based on survey outcomes.
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Wednesday, 18 December 2024 ·No. 1735286612086554 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 18 December 2024. No. 1735286612086554. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/12274