A single bean costs Rs. 15, a carrot Rs. 25 – Ruwan Wijewardene

UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene on Friday said that the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour programme of the government had inflicted catastrophic changes including the consumer culture of people during the past two years.

Addressing a meeting at party headquarters, Sirikotha, as a part of the UNP’s new membership drive, Wijewardene said that most people used to buy a minimum 250 grams of any type of vegetable. “Yet the price increases have compelled us to change that practice.

“Now they buy a pod of beans at Rs 15, a carrot at Rs 25, and a single kos madula (jak fruit bulb) at Rs 10. No longer can they afford to purchase vegetables in 250 gram quantities as they used to. It is the Vistas of Prosperity program that introduced this change.

“Not only those who did not vote for the government but also the 6.9 million, who voted for it are now suffering in the same way. There is no way the non-affluent can eat meat, fish or dry fish. The price of every type of vegetable is above Rs 600. A loaf of bread cost Rs 80, a packet of rice is Rs 200 and a plain-tea is sold at Rs 25. Many roadside boutiques no longer sell milk tea. Dosai and vadai were the least expensive in the past. Today a dosai is sold at Rs 75 and a wadai is at Rs 80.

“Every problem is attributed to the shortage of US dollars. Today the foreign reserves stand at USD 1.5 billion. After importing medicine and fuel it would reduce to 1.1 billion at the end of this month. The remaining sum would not be sufficient for at least two weeks imports in the coming year.

This is the worst ever plunge of foreign reserves this country has ever faced. All these problems are due to economic mismanagement of the government,” Wijewardene said.

(Source: The Island)