Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) during the 48 hours ending 27th February has netted 42,100 Kg of rice hoarded by errant sellers in the Pettah market completing a total of 2,064 monthly raids on errant rice sellers across the country in February.

“Rice sellers are also required to obey Maximum Retail Prices imposed by CAA, if the sold rice varieties are one of the gazetted varieties. Errant sellers who sell above the MRPs are violating the law. Hoarding of these varieties is also a violation and affects our consumers”, said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on 28 February during a discussion with the top officials of CAA on the latest raids.

These volumes were stacked in 25 kg bags and hoarded by three different sellers/businesses in Pettah market. Also 87 errant sellers across the country who violated rice MRPs were netted. This 42,100 kg of rice has now been sealed by CAA.

According to the Gazette issued on 17 February, MRPs for Nadu, Raw Rice and Samba was set as; MRP of a kilo of imported Nadu rice is Rs 72, locally milled Nadu Rs 80, a kilo of imported Raw (Kekulu) rice is Rs 70, locally milled Raw Rs 78, and a kilo of imported Samba (excluding Keeri Samba and Suduru Samba) is Rs 80,and locally milled Samba (excluding Keeri Samba and Suduru Samba) is Rs 90 per kilo.

250 officers of CAA are now continuously monitoring rice sales situation across the country.

Consumers are invited to alert and complain to CAA about errant traders on hotline 1977 or even CAA direct line 117755481-3.