COLOMBO – A vocal Sri Lanka price control advocate, Asela Sampath, who heads an organization called the National Consumer Front, on Sunday (29) urged the public to welcome the new year with fried rice instead of the traditional kiri bath (milk rice) as the red and used for milk rice had disappeared from shop shelves due to ceiling prices.

“Instead of milk rice we will eat fried rice because we have every day eaten milk rice in the past,” Sampath told reporters in an impromptu live cookery demonstration in front of news cameras.

Footage carried over a Sinhala language television channel showed Sampath, cracking an egg while explaining, “Here is imported white raw rice at 220 rupees a kilogram. We will eat fried rice because we have renewed the country”.

Sampath had earlier urged the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to impose price controls on eggs.

The CAA’s price controls led to the collapse of the layer farm sector.

Many of the egg farmers whose businesses failed as a result of price controls voted for the current National People’s Power (NPP) administration as a result.

Sampath, who is also the head of the All Island Canteen Owners’ Association had in the past announced public price hikes in prepared foods and complained to the CAA to maintain egg price controls.

“Here the imported white rice is separating nicely,” Sampath said expertly shaking his red non-stick pan to flip over some sliced vegetables and rice.

He urged the public not to lament over milk rice and said “On New Year’s Day make fried rice with imported white raw rice. It is only 220 rupees a kilogram.”

Traders interviewed by the television channel said that they could not get red rice and sell it at a controlled price.

Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority has previously performed its disappearing trick on, dhal, sugar and tinned fish.

Traders say red rice is available at 260 rupees a kilogram but they do not dare to sell the rice for fear of being penalized by the CAA.

Sri Lanka’s rice prices in general and red rice in particular tend to go up in December ahead of the main rice harvest in February as imports are taxed and are under licensing.

In some years the red rice had risen over Nadu and reached close to Samba, an examination of past data shows.

However, with price controls being imposed, red rice disappeared from the market this December.

Economic analysts have urged the central bank not to print money and the CAA not to impose price controls.

Sampath had previously urged authorities to impose price controls on coconut as well.

“Put a controlled price on coconut so that people can eat pol sambol,” Sampath told at the time.

However, as no price controls were imposed, no coconut shortages were created by CAA at the time, and the then government managed to dodge the bullet.

In Sri Lanka, coconut imports are banned due to quarantine rules and edible oil imports are taxed for nationalism.

-economynext.com/ENCL