Minister of Trade and Cooperatives Wasantha Samarasinghe states that a controlled price will be imposed on salt if traders are making unfair profits from the sale of salt.
He also said that it is not possible to import salt at Rs. 80 per kilo and sell it at Rs. 250.
Addressing a media conference, the Minister expressed his views as follows.
‘We allowed salt to be imported because of the shortage of salt. Today, we know that salt comes to Sri Lanka from India with a duty of Rs. 40 and is exported at Rs. 77 per kilo. Let’s say it is Rs. 80.
Then, in general wholesale trade, it will not be cheaper by 10%, 15%, 20%.
But if importers are trying to turn this shortage into racketeering today, I have also informed the importers and their associations that they should not be prepared to do this work and that we will set a maximum retail price.
Do not be prepared to import a kilo of salt at Rs. 80 and sell it at Rs. 250. It is enough to sell a kilo of salt between Rs. 100-120. He said.
Therefore, we are very clearly informing the importers that this is not because of this shortage, but because we are not allowing them to import goods to make extra profits.
If not, we will intervene to impose a maximum retail price this week. Do not be prepared to make extra profits from salt. Make a reasonable profit.
We are very clear that you should not make the shortage a place where you can make extra profits.