AKD reveals Wheat Flour monopoly in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO (News 1st); Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Leader of the Jathika Jana Balavegaya made revelations in Parliament over the wheat flour monopoly on Wednesday (18).

The opposition legislator slammed the government for taking certain decisions that have allowed two companies to control the country's wheat flour market.

"As per the special gazette issued by the government on 14.06.2023, and by the letter dated 16.06.2023 by the Import Controller, there was a ban on the import of wheat flour without import licenses. Accordingly, the measures to meet the wheat flour requirements of the country were vested with two multinational companies that import grain and produce flour. The entire wheat flour market is a monopoly of Serendib and Prima companies," he told the parliament.

Dissanayake said that these two companies sell wheat flour in the market at a price as high as Rs. 210/- per kg.

'They pay a small tax of Rs. 3/- to the government for one kilogram of wheat grain they import," said the parliamentarian.

"The price of flour is decreasing very fast in the world market. The price of wheat grains is decreasing very fast in the market. Also, the value of the dollar has decreased. What should happen now? This advantage should be given to the consumers. What the government did was to issue a gazette notice on 14th June and suspend the import of wheat flour," he said while slamming Sagala Ratnayaka , the President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, for interference with the Finance Ministry.