Imposing control prices is not a solution to curb the surge in commodity price and this is mainly due to the fact that the government has no policy, alleged Water Supply and Drainage Minister Vasudewa Nanayakkara, speaking to a briefing held in Colombo yesterday (20).
“The prices of goods today are not the same prices tomorrow. The price in one shop is not the price in another. What is the meaning of this? The answer is not controlling the price. Setting a control price does not control price. The government should create its own markets to distribute these essential commodities, at a reasonable price, at a loss to the government. Why cannot the government revive the former cooperative network? Govt. Has no policy!
The vision of prosperity stands for reactivating the cooperative network. But the government has come under the influence of traders, saying that government should not enter the trade. I can see that the government is allowing that influence in a way,” he said.