The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe — Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, many DECs now operate contrary to their intended purpose. Hence the Cabinet paper. Of the 18 DECs, only 14 are operational; four in the Northern area are yet to commence. Some others fall under Provincial Councils — e.g., Kalpitiya, Medawachchiya, and Chariyapola (Kurunegala area) — and are not operating under a unified mechanism.

¶ 02 We need a coherent management structure because each Centre now works differently, with differing capacities and rental regimes. About Rs. 1,400 million of public funds were spent to build DECs, but no revenue has flowed back to the Treasury; instead, Trusts spend collections without standardized remittance.

¶ 03 Operational issues also raise costs. Dambulla and Thambuttegama, our two largest fresh produce markets, open in the morning but often sell stock cut the previous evening; those then reach Meegoda by evening and Narahenpita the following morning, adding 1–2 days of delay and cost. We will regularize operations, set up a Management Board and a government company to administer Centres, introduce digital boards to display real-time prices and market conditions, and optimize opening times to cut delays. We are working with transporters to reduce damage and losses. We have also convened all stakeholders for discussions next week. With improved transport and reduced time-to-market, prices can be lowered. Cabinet approval has been obtained to bring dispersed Centres under a uniform, lawful process.