Representatives of the All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association have informed the government that they are prepared to offer a loaf of bread at Rs. 100 if they reduce the taxes imposed on a kilogram of wheat flour by Rs. 25.
This was conveyed to the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe during a discussion with the representatives of the Bakery Owners’ Association on Monday (13).
The Association’s President, N.K. Jayawardena along with a group of bakery owners participated in this discussion.
The bakery owners told Minister Samarasinghe that despite a decrease in the price of the dollar, they still have to buy a kilo of wheat flour for Rs. 190. The bakery owners pointed out that if the tax of Rs. 45 per kilo is reduced and anyone is given the opportunity to import wheat flour, the monopoly of the big companies can be broken.
The bakery owners also pointed out to the Minister that although the price of a kilo of margarine in the world market is Rs. 400, a kilo of margarine is sold for Rs. 900 in the local market.
“If the tax of Rs. 600 per kilo of margarine is reduced and anyone is allowed to import margarine, the government will receive more tax revenue and the prices of bakery products can be reduced.”
They also told the Minister that due to the increase in prices, bread consumption has decreased to some extent.
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