Regulation soon to contain errant practices in rice trading

In a move to control the errant practices in rice trading, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has  instructed Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardane to issue a gazette notification making it compulsory for declaration of paddy stocks held by traders and mill owners.

Minister Gunawardane told the Daily Mirror that he received this instruction at the Cost of Living Committee meeting on Wednesday.

He said all the warehouses should be registered and paddy stocks declared to the government.

The Minister said the price of rice had shot up to Rs.140 a kg due to the mafia style trading by a coterie of mill owners.(Kelum Bandara)