Reduction of Special Commodity Levy on rice will not lead to imports: Siyambalapitiya

Colombo, March 28 (Daily Mirror)- The special commodity levy on rice was reduced not to allow import of rice but to clear a stock of rice currently stuck with the Customs, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said today.

He told reporters that a stock of Keeri Samba rice was imported in January to control the escalating prices and shortage in the market and that a part of that imported stock of rice was stuck with the Customs due to a delay in receiving the stock. 

He said the special commodity levy on rice was reduced from Rs. 65 to Rs. 1 for a period of one week to facilitate the importers to get that rice stock cleared from the Customs.

"This move will not lead to import of new rice stocks as the reduction will be effective only for a week. The importers must clear the rice stock stuck with the Customs within a week," he said.

Commenting on the reduction of the special commodity levy on big onion, he said the import levy on Rose Onion was reduced from Rs. 80 to Rs. 10 to control the escalating big onion prices in the market. 

"Rose onion is the best alternative to big onions. We want to bring the big onion prices to a reasonable level," he said.