Government must intervene to regulate escalating prices of essential commodities – Handunnetti
Claiming that the prices of essential commodities have gone up exorbitantly, former JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti today urged the government to intervene to regulate the increase in prices of essential goods without allowing the Government cronies to loot the people.
He told a news conference that people were greatly inconvenienced due to the skyrocketing prices of essentials during these travel restrictions.
He said the Government had created a monopoly in the market to benefit certain businessmen aligned to the Government without taking steps to provide relief to the people.
Mr. Handunnetti said the prices of sugar and rice have gone up beyond the common man’s reach as a result of the monopoly by Government’s cronies.
“One kg of sugar is sold at Rs. 240. Prices of potato, big onions, sprats, chili and coconut oil have all gone up. Prices of all kinds of vegetables are increasing everyday. People who are without any income due to the lock down and quarantine curfew have been badly hit by the price increase. Government has increased the prices of medicines also through a gazette notification,” he said.
He said the relief pack of Rs. 10,000 which was given to people under quarantine have been cut down from August 24.
“This pack of dry rations was given to people under quarantine as they could not go out to purchase daily needs. However, in a new circular, this has been restricted to low income families only. It means that the government believes that the infected people should go out to buy their essential needs” he said.
He also said that the Government should provide the Rs.2,000 allowance to all those who have lost their income due to travel restrictions without restricting it to a small group of people.
(Source: Daily Mirror – By Ajith Siriwardana)
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This is all well said. From where does the money come to provide these things he is clamming. Only way I can think of selling people to middle east as domestic servants, sell the parts of the country to other countries like China or print more money which will in turn skyrocket the all the commodities.
Dear Mr Handunetti,
I suggest you undergo study in modern economics.
Sad to see you behaving close to the Trade Minister who claims a PhD.