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Sri Lanka Army

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Jaffna's Trade Monopoly to Change

THE JAFFNA farmers were some of the richest groups of the country especially from 1970 to 1977. They were generally hardworking people at all times. During this period the Jaffna farmers cultivated rice, chilly, red onion, potato, vegetables, fruits including the fine grapes at Urumpirai that were sent to Colombo.

The destruction the LTTE brought to the country during the past 30 years brought disaster to the lives, property, of the whole country. The once prosperous Jaffna farmer and trader became mere slaves to this ruthless terrorist organisation and were compelled to pay extortion money to the LTTE.

Even though the LTTE has now been vanquished some of the problems in the aftermath of the armed conflict remain in Jaffna. A group of wholesale traders keep their monopoly in trade charging high prices for essential goods.

A kilogram of samba rice was Rs. 120 and a kilo of red rice was more than Rs. 90. Even a kilogram of locally grown tomato or murunga or drumsticks cost Rs.100.

It was at a meeting at the Jaffna Kachcheri with the participation of members of the Chamber of Commerce, small and medium entrepreneurs that some of these facts came to light when four ministers, from Colombo, Trade Commerce and Cooperatives Minister Bandula Gunawardhana, Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda, Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karaliyadde and Power and Energy Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage attended this meeting at the Jaffna kachcheri.

Though the LTTE terrorists were no longer there to extort large sums of money from everyone who was earning money yet the high prices in Jaffna remained.

Though some of the traders gave unrealistic reasons for the high prices there appeared to be some solution in sight. At least one practical solution was to be implemented.

Various problems and solutions were suggested and the ministers present at the meeting said their main concern was to bring down the prevailing high prices of essential goods.

A new Lak Sathosa outlet as well as two Co-op City outlets too would be opened soon in Jaffna so that the private traders and the Lak Sathosa would have to compete with each other which would ultimately lead to lower prices in essential goods, Minister Bandula Gunawardhana said.

Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage explained that the government had already implemented development projects under the Uthuru Wasanthaya program and the benefits of the government's efforts should go to the public.

The benefit of the efforts to supply essential goods should reach the entire population of Jaffna and not merely a section of traders to make large margins of profit.

When asked for their problems one of the members from the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce expressed his views and said only around 20 to 30 lorries were transporting goods from Jaffna to Colombo and that was not sufficient. It should be increased to 60 or 70 lorries daily. Also the goods transported via A9 should be done daily and not only three to four times a week.

The hire charges for a 15 metric ton capacity lorry cost around 132,000 rupees from Colombo to Jaffna and the loading and unloading charges too had increased resulting in increased prices in Jaffna. Regarding the prices of goods there were different figures that came up and the farmers. Small and medium entrepreneurs gave the existing prices while the members from Chamber of Commerce were observed giving incorrect prices of the essential goods.

At this point Minister Aluthgamage was challenged by a trader to bring down the prices of goods and the minister said that he would take up the challenge to reduce the prices in almost all the essential goods by August this year.

The Trade Minister said there could be price variations due to various reasons and especially transport costs could increase prices but such high prices would come down when the new Laksathosa and Co-op City outlets open within two weeks time.

He also said two more outlets of State Trading Corporations in addition to the one in Jaffna town would be opened so that it would bring down then price of cement which was Rs. 2000 a bag at present to Rs. 1200 a bag. Other building materials like tiles or iron rods used in buildings would also be sold at a Building Material Corporation outlet to be opened in Jaffna soon.

Jaffna's famous Windsor cinema hall would be turned into a Lak Sathosa self-service sales outlet. The ministers inspected the abandoned building. They were confident that the people of Jaffna would be able to reap the benefit of better services.

The Trade minister also discussed the problem of goods like onions reaching Colombo after being unloaded at Dambulla economic centre and other places before they reached Colombo markets and he requested the traders and farmers to cooperate with these Government initiatives.
(Courtesy: Daily News)