Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on 1st November in Colombo announced that steps have been taken to create a new, state owned FMCG wholesale store chain to deliver essentials at low, warehouse prices -to anyone and in any asked volumes- as a stopgap measure in its Cost of Living control.
“Our international tender to import 200,000 MT rice closed on 31st October. Rice samples submitted with tender bids are being forwarded to ITI for lab tests. The 200,000 MT total consists of 90, 000 MT Parboiled Nadu rice, 60,000 MT Samba (Parboiled) rice and 50,000 MT White Raw rice”, said the minister.