Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardana says the first batch of imported rice is scheduled to arrive at the Colombo Port tomorrow.
Speaking during an event in Kandy today, Minister Gunawardana said the stock of rice will be sold to the public at a price less than Rs.100 per kilogram through Lanka Sathosa and supermarket chains.
The Minister said everyone including farmers, labourers and businessman were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He claimed however other countries were more affected due to the pandemic.
On a separate note, Minister Gunawardena said he hopes to import several more essential items in the near future through the Sri Lanka State Trading Corporation.
He said prices of crude oil, chemical components and gas increased drastically due to the pandemic. He said the country is facing a very challenging situation.
The Minister claimed they only granted a lesser price hike than what was requested by milk powder, cement, and wheat flour companies during discussions.
He said the process of importing further essential items could take a longer time as this was a new process which was not done since 1977.
