Former Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera claims that when permission was given to import nadu rice, the containers imported from India mostly contained basmati rice, green gram and peanuts.
He alleged that a certain group deliberately imported these items hidden among the rice containers and that these importers are currently hiding them in their warehouses.
As the government levies a large tax on basmati alone, Amaraweera said a large consignment of basmati rice has been imported into the country under the guise of importing nadu rice which is only subject to a Rs. 65 tax.
He said that the prices of basmati rice, green gram and other grains have decreased due to the release of those imported stocks into the market.
Noting that large-scale traders are repackaging these imported rice stocks and releasing them at higher prices, he said the government has failed to manage the country’s rice requirements.
He pointed out that there is no shortage of red raw rice in the country and that the stocks are already in the rice mills but they are being sold secretly at higher prices.
He emphasized that when he was the Minister of Agriculture, the average price of a kilo of rice was kept below Rs. 170.
Amaraweera rejected claims made by Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe that the reason for the rice shortage was the distribution of rice to low-income families under the Wickremesinghe administration.
Highlighting that steps were taken to distribute not only red rice but also white rice to low-income earners, he said that he knows where the red rice is hidden and that he can find it if necessary.
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