President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a special committee to look into unusual price increases of essential goods in recent times, Cabinet Co-Spokesman Gayantha Karunathilake said today.

He said that the attention of the President, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other Cabinet Ministers was drawn to artificial and unusual price increases of essential items, Karunathilake said addressing the Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Centre.

Meanwhile, the government has released the VAT from 133 essential items and 21 services such as public library services, public transport service, electricity and others,” he said.

Furthermore, the new committee will look into the raids and other steps taken to ensue that the traders are not selling goods at unusual prices, Karunathilake said.

The maximum prices of essential goods will be published through the media twice a week, it was also said.