Courtesy Hiru News

Lawyers point out that the condition imposed by Trade Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena that at least five more items should be purchased without giving the opportunity to purchase only rice and sugar from Sathosa is a violation of the Consumer Affairs Act.

The decision taken by the Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardena was implemented from today and consumers came to the CWE outlets to buy sugar and rice.

However, NM Shaheed, a former chairman of the Consumer Affairs Council, said that traders could not impose any conditions on consumers other than the requirement that the price of the product be paid promptly.

The Consumer Affairs Authority can take action against traders who sell goods by imposing such conditions.

Shaheed further added that the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No. 9 of 2003 provides for fines as well as imprisonment for such traders.

Meanwhile, a gazette notification was issued removing the maximum retail prices imposed on severel essential food items and removing the control prices imposed on sugar, chicken, dried fish, mackerel, green gram, chickpeas, big onions and maize.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has taken steps to reduce the Special Commodity Levy of Rs. 65 per kilogram of imported rice to 25 cents.

Nihal Seneviratne, Spokesman for the Importers of Essential Commodities, said that after the revision of the import duty, orders have been placed to import 15,000 metric tons of rice from India to date.

Our correspondents stated that people are still waiting in queues to buy gas, kerosene and cement in several parts of the island.