Cabinet sets up Special Committee on price hikes

6 July 2016 02:38 pm

A Special Committee had been appointed by the President to look into price increases of essential goods in recent times, Cabinet Co-Spokesman Gayantha Karunathilake said today.

“Attention of President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other Cabinet Ministers, was drawn to artificial and unusual price increases of essential items,” he said.

“Later the decision was taken to appoint immediately a committee to look into such artificial and unusual price increases and take immediate action if found.

“The government had freed VAT from 133 essential items and 21 services such as public library services, public transport service, electricity and distribution and many more,” he said.

“The committee can gather, whenever it is necessary and will implement decisions within four days,” Minister Karunathilake said. (Chaturanga Pradeep)