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CAA to take 479 rice traders to court 

24 Jun 2022

  • Charged with selling above MRP, not displaying prices, refusing sale 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is to file cases against 479 traders for selling rice in excess of the maximum retail price (MRP), not displaying the prices of rice and refusing to sell rice. When contacted by The Morning, an official of the CAA Raids Unit said that the CAA is currently conducting raids islandwide to find traders selling rice in excess of the MRP. During such raids, he said that 479 traders have been arrested for selling rice in excess of the MRP, not displaying the prices of rice and refusing to sell the rice, and have since been released on bail. He also said that the CAA would file cases in the respective courts against them in the coming days. The CAA official also said that 22 traders who were convicted of the said charges in the past few months have been fined Rs. 3.3 million. Therefore, he said that rice should be purchased from wholesalers in such a way that it can be sold at the MRP. A Gazette Extraordinary was issued by the then CAA Chairman Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Shantha Dissanayake, stipulating a MRP for Local White/Red Kekulu rice, effective from 10 June. As per the said Gazette Notification, the new MRP on a kilogram of Local White/Red Kekulu rice stands at Rs. 210.  In addition, on 2 May, 2022, the CAA issued a Gazette Extraordinary through which MRPs were set for Local White/Red Nadu rice, White/Red Samba rice, and Keeri Samba. According to it, a kilogram of Local White/Red Nadu is priced at Rs. 220, a kilogram of White/Red Samba is at Rs. 230, and a kilogram of Keeri Samba is at Rs. 260. Meanwhile, the United Rice Producers’ Association recently emphasised that the Government should take steps to set a MRP not only for local rice, but also for imported rice.


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