(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered to inquire into whether the increase in the price of a kilogram of wheat flour by eight rupees was due to a delay by the Cost of Living Committee and report to him immediately.
The Prime Minister has instructed the relevant authorities to look into whether the Consumer Affairs Authority is responsible for such a price hike in addition to the Government’s Cost of Living Committee.
The response of the Cost of Living Committee to the requests made by the wheat flour companies for a long time for a raise in wheat prices will also to be presented in detail to the Premier.
Government MPs have pointed out that the price of wheat flour would not have been increased by such a high amount if the wheat flour companies allowed to increase or decrease price in line with the world market prices of wheat and appreciation of the dollar.
While the Cost of Living Committee, headed by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, meets weekly to decide on the cost of essential food, the Prime Minister has also given instructions to report on how the Cost of Living Committee has responded to the increase in wheat flour prices.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) states that the authority has not yet given permission for flour companies to raise the price of wheat flour.
The Authority emphasizes that legal action will be taken against the bakery owners who increase the prices of bakery products including bread.
Meanwhile, the Bakery Owners Association said they have decided to reduce the price of a 450 gram loaf of bread, which was raised from midnight Wednesday back to old prices from Thursday midnight.
The Association said they have no option but to increase the price of a 450 g bread loaf by Rs. 5 since the flour companies have increased the wheat flour prices by Rs. 7.54 per kilo.
