1 September 2020 09:31 am
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said steps will be taken to reduce the cost of living by implementing the decisions which were taken based on stable policies.
He said he would not take any step back from the decisions taken to improve the life of farmers in order to strengthen the rural economy.
President Rajapaksa expressed these views at the maiden meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Cost of Living which was held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
He said the prices of several consumer goods including turmeric have gone up due to the decisions taken to uplift the local agriculture.
“If turmeric and other goods were imported to reduce the prices in the local market, the desired outcomes will never be achieved," he said.
President Rajapaksa said imports should be limited to control the foreign revenue exchange and to avoid high debt. “Countries like the US and India have also imposed restrictions on imports due to COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
He instructed the officials to inform him on the market conditions once a week.
The sub-committee had also discussed to streamline the dedicated economic centres and to purchase the harvest directly from farmers.
The President's Media Division said the impact of increased prices on the economy of the middle class was also discussed in length.
The attention has also been drawn to distribute harvest of the farmers directly to the consumers through Sathosa, Cooperative Stalls, Agrarian Services Centres with the assistance of the security forces.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Bandula Gunawardana, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Mahindanada Aluthgamage and State Ministers Arundika Fernando, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Lasantha Alagiyawanna and President's Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera were present. (Lahiru Pothmulla)