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Government may impose price cap on salt: Trade Minister
Colombo, June 5 (Daily Mirror) - The government will be compelled to introduce a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for salt within the week if attempts to inflate prices continue, Minister of Trade Wasantha Samarasinghe said.
Speaking at a media briefing, Minister Samarasinghe emphasized that the decision to allow salt imports was made solely to address a domestic shortage, not to enable profiteering by importers.
He noted that a kilogram of imported salt costs Rs. 77, inclusive of a 40% government tax. "Let’s say it is priced at Rs. 80 per kilo. Then wholesale traders can retain a reasonable profit margin - Rs. 10, 20, or 30 - but not more than that," the Minister stated.
Warning against exploitation of the current shortage, Samarasinghe said, "If importers attempt to take advantage of the situation to create an artificial price hike, we will not hesitate to set a price ceiling."
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