The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe — Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development
Imports of salt have been liberalized subject to permits from the Food Control Administration Unit, with approvals issued for up to 268,000 metric tons, though full importation is not expected. About 15,800–16,000 metric tons had arrived by the previous day at landed costs averaging around Rs. 77 per kilo, but the Minister said some traders were attempting to sell at Rs. 120–280 per kilo. He stated that importers had been warned against excessive profiteering and that action would be taken if consumers were adversely affected, adding that he could provide further details in an adjournment debate.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Though not related to the listed question, I will briefly respond. We have liberalized imports of salt, but importers must obtain permits from the Food Control Administration Unit. Approvals have been granted up to 268,000 metric tons, though we do not expect the full amount. As of yesterday, about 15,800–16,000 metric tons had arrived, both iodized and non-iodized, at landed costs between Rs. 60–85 per kilo, average around Rs. 77. Attempts are being made to sell at Rs. 120–280 per kilo, which is unacceptable. We have directly warned importers not to seek excessive profits. If consumers are adversely affected, we will take necessary action. If an adjournment debate is brought, I can further elaborate.
¶ 02 Thank you.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 6 June 2025 ·No. 1750753418078417 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe — Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 6 June 2025. No. 1750753418078417. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/28176